Annette
by Writefromtheheart95
Summary: Annette was just another street rat. She would have been forgotten by the world if Seto Kaiba hadn't saved her life. Kaiba never regretted saving Annette, but he will soon find out why her friends call her 'Jinx'. Rated for language, violence and suggestive themes. In-Progress.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Annette stood on the street corner, wearing an oversized blue sweater, a pair of dark jeans and some worn out sneakers. A large black duffle bag hung from her shoulders, holding every last thing she had to her name. Her blond hair was tied up in a messy bun. An expression of fatigue and dread was painted her young face. All night, she had seen cars driving slowly as they passed her. Every time they did this, she quicken her pace. This was enough of a sign to the men driving the cars that she was not what they were looking for, and they quickly moved on.

Suddenly, she noticed her friend Destiny emerging from one of the cars. Despite the cold weather, Destiny wore a short leather skirt and a white halter-top. Her Darkness was a dark blue, indicating her friend's deep-rooted sadness. She walked over to Annette. "How ya holding up, kiddo?" Destiny asked. Annette sighed. "I just can't do it, D. All of these guys are scum."

"I know, kiddo, but a girls' gotta do what a girls' gotta do." Annette looked at her friend with sadness. This was not the life either of them deserved. Selling their bodies just to be able to eat. She was beginning to regret leaving…

An approaching stranger interrupted her thought. He was tall and, by the looks of him, muscular, though Annette wasn't sure. She couldn't really make out his face since his hood covered it. Annette could see the Darkness surrounding him. It wasn't a simple unpleasant emotion this time. It was evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. "How much?" he asked.

"Two hundred," Destiny answered. Annette tried to pull her friend away from the hooded figure, but he stepped closer. "I want the blond," he said. Annette tried not to look scared. "Sorry, sweetheart, I'm not working tonight," she said as venomously as she could manage. He didn't move. "Look, buddy, she said she wasn't working, so why don't a leave the-". Before Annette could blink, Destiny was on the ground, a pool of blood quickly forming around her.

Annette's first instinct was to run, but the man grabbed her arm so tightly it hurt. Her next instinct was to scream. Agonizing cries filled the air for half a second, but the man put his hand over Annette's mouth. "Shut up, you stupid whore, or I'll cut your throat right now." He dragged her along the unusually empty sidewalk. At first she let him take her, afraid of what he would do to her if she didn't comply. Then, she thought, he was probably going to kill her anyway, so why give him the satisfaction of taking control of her?

Every ounce of her dwindling strength went to fighting her attacker. She punched and kicked and clawed at him with all of her might, but he avoided her attacks easily. "You might as well give up, bitch. There's no way you can-" The man stopped mid-sentence and whirled around, still holding Annette in his death grip. Another man, taller than her captor, stood before them. He had brown hair and eyes so blue, the sky paled in comparison. He wore a very expensive business suit and stood with an almost eerie calmness. Annette wasn't sure what was worse; seeing her captor's evil Darkness or not being able to see this man's Darkness at all.

"You didn't see nothin'," the captor said as threateningly as possible, although Annette could tell that something about the stranger made her attacker nervous.

The brown-haired man smirked. "Really? Because I believe I saw you taking this girl somewhere against her will," he said coolly.

"Listen buddy, this is none of your business, so I suggest you scam before you end up like her friend." The stranger was unfazed. Annette saw the attacker pull out the knife he used to stab Destiny. Then, several things happened at once. The attacker lunged at the stranger but, in one swift motion, the attacker was on the ground with the stranger standing over his apparently unconscious body.

Annette was filled with relief for a brief moment. Then, she noticed the knife lying a few feet away. "Destiny!" she screamed, and ran to her friend. Destiny lay on her stomach a few yards away. Her body was cold, but Annette could see that she was still breathing. "Destiny! Wake up, wake up! Please don't leave me…" She didn't even realize that the stranger that saved her had followed her until she heard his voice behind her. "Operator, get me an ambulance… corner of Third and Colby." As he hung up the phone, another man in a business suit approached him. "Make sure that piece of shit doesn't wake up before the police come," the first man commanded. "Yes, Master Kaiba," replied the second.

Turning her over onto her back, Annette could see just how much blood Destiny had lost. Annette tried her best to wrap the wound with her sweater. She hoped that it would keep Destiny alive long enough for the ambulance to get there. As the minutes ticked by, Annette could feel Destiny's breathe slowing. "Please don't die on me," she whispered.

The sound of sirens caught her attention and she turned around to see flashing lights drawing nearer. The EMTs got out of the vehicle and quickly lifted Destiny onto a stretcher. They loaded her onto the ambulance and Annette climbed into the back. The ambulance was tearing down the road, but it didn't seem fast enough to Annette. When they finally reached the hospital, the EMTs rushed Destiny into the building with Annette trailing closely behind. As the men took Destiny through a pair of double doors, a nurse stopped Annette. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't go back there."

"But-"

"I'm sorry. Please take a seat in the waiting room."

Realizing how tired she was, Annette simply nodded her head and walked into the waiting room. She took a seat in the chair closest to the area where they took Destiny. She put her elbows on her legs and her head in her hands. The remainder of her strength went into holding back her tears. She hadn't been in a hospital since…

"Are you alright?" asked a familiar voice, interrupting her thoughts. Annette looked up to see the man who had saved her, though, in the light, she realized that he couldn't be much older than her; sixteen, maybe seventeen. This shocked Annette since she distinctly remembered him being both taller and stronger than her captor. His face was unreadable, but his voice had contained the slightest hint of worry, which she was sure he had not intended.

"I… yes, I'm alright," she answered, assuming that he simply meant her physical wellbeing. The stranger (Kaiba, she assumed) raised one eyebrow in the universal sign of 'I don't believe you', however, he didn't say anything and sat down next to her. She couldn't understand why he had followed her to the hospital. He had already done enough.

They sat in silence for what seemed like years to Annette finally, he spoke. "What's your name?" he asked. Annette hesitated, pondering whether she could trust this stranger with her real name, but then reminded herself that he did just save her life. "Annette Duval," she finally answered. "You?"

"Seto Kaiba," he answered immediately. She couldn't help but feel that she had heard the name before, but before she could think of where, a doctor came up to her. "Are you the girl who came here with the woman who was stabbed?" he asked Annette. She stood up. "Yes. Is she okay?" she asked, unable to mask the anxiety in her voice. The doctor smiled. "Yes, she's going to be just fine, though she will need to stay here for at least two weeks." A look of relief washed over her entire body. "Can I see her?" she asked pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, but your friend needs her rest, and the two of you need to give your statements to the police," he said as he gestured towards the two officers coming in through the front door. One of them she recognized, and she felt a knot forming in her stomach. The officer was short and slightly pudgy and he had a dark moustache that matched the color of the little hair he still had on his head. He frowned when he saw her. "Alright, Jinx, what'd ya do this time?"

"Go to hell," Annette growled through gritted teeth. The doctor was taken aback by this reply, but the other officer quickly stepped in. "Lieutenant, maybe you should interview Mr. Kaiba while I talk to Miss Duval," he said smiling. This officer seemed younger and more compassionate. The Lieutenant just huffed and began questioning Kaiba.

Once the police officers had all the information they needed, they left. Annette and Kaiba simply stood together in silence. Again, Kaiba was the one to break the silence. "You have a history with the short one or something?"

"He's arrested me few times," Annette stated matter-of-factly.

"What for?" he asked.

Annette shot him a look that was meant to scare him into forgetting the question, but he wasn't budging. She sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'm listening," he said. Annette was getting annoyed. _Who does this guy think he is? Saving my life doesn't give him the right to just demand that I tell him my life story! _

"Let's just say that I was innocent most of the time," she replied and went back to sit down. _God, I want a cigarette, _she thought. Of course, she couldn't risk getting in trouble again, so she just had to fight the craving (though, to be honest, she didn't have much fight left in her). She was rubbing her temples when she noticed that Kaiba still hadn't left. She looked at the clock. _Jesus, it's almost three in the morning. What the hell was he still doing here? _

"Do you need something?" she asked the brooding boy. He simply pulled a business card out of his pocket and held it out to her. Annette cautiously took the card. "Call me when your friend gets out of the hospital." And with that, he turned and left Annette stunned into silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Five Years Later_

_This day could not go by fast enough, _Annette thought as she sat at her desk, rubbing her temples. For whatever reason, the day seemed to be going by at a snail's pace. It was probably because it was Friday, and she had dinner with the Kaibas to look forward to.

Despite what most people thought of the infamous Seto Kaiba, Annette actually enjoyed the company of the moody CEO. He had never said a cruel word to her, and she suspected that he enjoyed talking to her as well, though she knew he would never actually tell her that.

Just then her partner, Kori, poked his head inside her office. "We got a body on 16th," he said matter-of-factly. Annette sighed. _Oh well,_ she thought. _An agent's work is never done._

As usual, the police already and the scene secured when Annette and Kori arrived. "Any I.D. ?" Annette asked the first police officer. She looked down at the body. It was covered with a plastic cover, but she could tell that it was tall, probably male. It lay sprawled across the putrid alley. Annette shuddered. _A few years ago, that could have been me. _

"No, no I.D. A junkie just happened to come across him," the officer answered. Annette kneeled down and pulled the plastic cover to the side a bit. Her eyes widened. "What is it?" Kori asked.

"Look at him," she said. Her partner leaned over. He had the same response. "He looks…"

"Just like the guy on those security tapes," she finished. _How bazar. _"Any indication as to how he died. The cop shrugged. "Nothing. We'll have to wait for the autopsy report." Annette looked at the body skeptically. "Does his description match any missing persons reports?" The cop shook his head.

Annette surveyed the scene closely. Nothing about the ally seemed to be amiss. She couldn't find anything that would indicate who this man was or why he was here. Annette shook her head. "Just make sure you get the guy's fingerprints. If nothing else, we could compare them to the one's found at the scenes of the break-ins." Annette and Kori left the scene, both completely puzzled.

Seto Kaiba was sitting in his home office when the doorbell of the Kaiba Mansion rang. "I bet that's Annette. I'll get it!" Mokuba announced. Kaiba closed his laptop and slowly made his way to the front door. By the time he had descended the stairs, Mokuba was already talking Annette's ear off and leading her to the living room.

Kaiba watched the two for a moment, paying especially close attention to Annette. As usual, she had her blond hair pulled back in tight bun at the base of her neck. She wore a simple blue blouse, black slacks, and black flats. He noticed how well she carried herself. Unlike most people, she didn't cower in fear at the thought of being in his presence. She had all the confidence and grace of a dancer. He wasn't sure when, but sometime in the years Kaiba had known her, she had ceased to be a girl and had become a woman.

"Hey Seto. How's being the world's youngest CEO been?" Annette asked sarcastically. Kaiba just shrugged. "Same old, same old," he answered. Annette rolled her eyes. "Glad you're enjoying it." Kaiba smirked.

"Well, shall we move into the dinning room?" Annette asked. Mokuba shook his head. "No, we still have to wait for…" he started to say. Annette noticed the guilty look on the teenager's face. "Who are we waiting for?" she asked.

When the doorbell rang at that moment, Mokuba looked relieved. He ran to the door, leaving Kaiba and Annette alone. She turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "Who are we waiting for?" she asked again, more suspicious this time. Kaiba said nothing. Then, she heard it.

"Mokuba, sweetie, you've gotten she big! How old are you now, thirteen?" Annette's blood immediately began to boil. "You invited _her_?" she said through gritted teeth, trying her best not to shout.

"She invited herself. She wanted to go out tonight and I told her I couldn't, so she said she would just come over," Kaiba said with an annoyed expression. It was clear that he didn't want Bree to be there anymore the Annette did, but that didn't mean that she would let him off easy. "You owe me."

"Annette, darling, I haven't seen you seen you in _ages_!" Annette couldn't help but groan at the sound of the shrill voice addressing her as she turned around. There stood a beautiful brunette with perfectly tanned skin. She wore a truckload of makeup and a red cocktail dress that was so short, Annette wondered if it was actually supposed to be a shirt. Her matching heels were at least six inches tall. She smiled at Annette with the fakest smile Annette had ever seen. _Some actress, _she thought.

Bree noticed Kaiba standing behind Annette and immediately turned her attention to him. "Seto, it was so sweet of you to invite her to dinner tonight. Otherwise, she would probably be spending Friday night all alone at home." Annette could feel her head getting ready to explode. _Why, the little…_

"Dinner's ready!" Mokuba called. Annette quickly dashed into the dinning room, choosing a seat as far from Seto's end of the table as possible since she knew that's where Bree would be.

For almost the entire dinner, Bree talked nonstop about the various movie parts she was auditioning for. Kaiba sat expressionless at the head of the table. Mokuba tried to look interested, but he ended up putting his head on his hand and began to nod off. As for Annette, she couldn't stop thinking about the dead man that was found earlier. She was so consumed with her thoughts, she didn't realize that Bree was talking to her.

"Hello, earth to Annette," Bree said, snapping Annette out of her trance. "Huh?" she asked.

"I said that I need to take you shopping. Those slacks are not flattering. I bet you don't even own a dress!"

"I own a dress! I just save it for special occasions…" she trailed off. Bree huffed. "I just thought you could use some girl time. You spend so much time around men I thought you would want have a girlfriend to talk to."

Annette wanted to retort, but Mokuba interjected. "Wow, it's getting late. I'd better get to bed. I have to be up early for a duel."

"Oh, I almost forgot! I have an audition in the morning! I have to go. See you later, hon," Bree said. She quickly rushed out the door, but not before planting a big kiss on Kaiba's cheek. Annette wanted to laugh and puke at the same time.

Kaiba turned to Annette. "I'm guessing you need a drink," he said, an understanding grin on his face. Annette snorted. "A drink? Try ten." She followed him into the den. He poured a drink for each of them and handed one to her. He sat down in a plush leather arm chair and Annette sat on the huge couch across from him.

"So what's on your mind?" Kaiba asked Annette. She turned her head to the side, confused. "You seemed more distracted than usual during dinner," he explained. Annette just shook her head. "It's nothing. Just a case I'm working on."

"Do tell," Kaiba said. Sighing, Annette began. "Over the past couple weeks, there have been a series of break-ins at local arcades. Of course, you know this, since one of those arcades was yours." Kaiba simply nodded and indicated for her to continue. "I can't figure out why he would break-in and then not take anything, except for the last break-in and he only took a little bit of money. Anyway, I think we may have found him."

"Good. I want the bastard to pay for damaging my property," Kaiba said. Annette shook her head. "That's just it… he was dead." Kaiba's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything. "We found him in an alley over on 16th. The weird thing is, I have no idea how he died. Most of the time, when we find a body in an alley there are stab wounds or gunshots or something, but this guy… it was like he just dropped dead."

Kaiba's face was calm but Annette could detect some other emotion beneath the surface. "What is it?" she questioned.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he answered. Annette was shocked. Kaiba was rarely worried, and when he was, he never said anything.

Standing up, Annette said, "I'm sure he just died of an overdose or something." She walked over to the table to her glass down. "I'd better go before I drink to much and can't drive home-" She turned around and was surprised to discover Kaiba standing right behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Be careful," he whispered. Annette swallowed nervously. "I will," she said. "I promise."

Kaiba nodded then took his hands off of her shoulders and stepped back. "Well… goodnight," Annette whispered, her voice slightly shaky. Kaiba didn't say anything, so she just decided to leave.

Annette's mind was swimming with confusion. _What was that about? _She had never seen Seto so worried. Of course, she knew that he didn't like the fact that she was a federal agent. If it were up to him, she would be working at Kaiba Corps. right where he could keep an eye on her. But this concern seemed to half more substance than the general fear of her getting hurt on the job. _Maybe he knows something…_

Kaiba watched Annette get into her car from the den window. He almost never became nervous, but something about the case Annette told him about had unsettled him. He knew that her job was dangerous and he didn't why she chose to join the Domino Bureau of Investigation instead of working at Kaiba Corps. where he could keep her safe. As far as he was concerned, she had suffered enough in her life. She didn't need to be chasing criminals and witnessing more suffering.

Digging his cellphone out of his pocket, he dialed a number. "Stephen, I need you to keep an eye on Annette."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Wow." Annette had just recounted her run-in with the mysterious Seto Kaiba to Destiny. She sat up in her hospital bed, and unreadable expression on her face. She seemed to be consumed by her thoughts. Annette took the opportunity to view Destiny's Darkness. Anxiety.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'm gonna call him." Destiny looked at her shocked. "Why not?" she asked.

"Think about it, D. A rich guy like that hanging out in that part of town? I'm pretty sure I know why he was there."

Destiny shook her head. "I don't think so, A. Most rich jerks wouldn't give a rat's ass if a couple of homeless girls turned up dead. But he _saved _us. Something tells me that he isn't like the others." Annette was doubtful, but she agreed to at least call him.

A doctor came in at that moment. "Ms. Carter, your tests all looked good and you are free to go. I'll have a nurse bring your discharge papers." The doctor smiled and turned to leave, but Annette stood up and stopped him. "Thank you so much Dr…"

"Cohen," he finished.

"Right. We really appreciate everything you've done, but, you see, we don't exactly have the money…" Dr. Cohen held up his hand to stop her. "Don't worry. It's been taken care of." He gave her one last kind smile and then left.

Annette and Destiny walked into Chief's Bar and Grill three hours later. They were immediately greeted by a relieved voice. "Oh thank God! I heard about what happened. You two alright?" Snowman was behind the bar. He leaned over the counter and straining his eyes, probably trying to figure out how bad the situation was. "We're fine, Snow. Just a little shaken up."

Snowman nodded, not looking too convinced. "Really, Snow, we're okay." The young man sighed. "If you're sure," was all he said. Annette smiled at her friend. His unusual nickname came from the fact that he was extremely pale and his hair was almost white. It occurred to Annette that she didn't know his real name.

"Hey, is the Chief around? I need to ask him something."

"Somebody call for me?" asked a friendly voice. A tall, dark-haired man stepped out from the kitchen. "Destiny! Jinx! You're alright! Everyone was worried sick about you two!"

"We're fine," Destiny replied.

"Well, that's good. That son of a bitch had better get life, cuz if I ever see him, I'll kill him!"

His comment made Annette shudder a bit, but she didn't want to see what his Darkness was like at that moment, so she just asked, "Hey, Chief, can I use your phone."

"Yeah, sure. You calling your aunt?"

Annette shook her head. "Not exactly." The Chief just shrugged and pointed to the phone behind the bar. She pulled the card out of her pocket and dialed the number.

The phone rang a few times before a female voice answered. "Seto Kaiba's office."

"Umm yes, S… Mr. Kaiba told me to call."

"Name," the female voice commanded.

"Umm… Annette Duval."

The sound of papers shuffling followed, and then the voice chimmed, "Oh, yes. Mr. Kaiba has you scheduled to come in at 3pm tomorrow."

"Umm…thanks," Annette said, then hung up. _Not only did he assume that I would call, he's expecting me to come to his office. He must be pretty confident that I'll come. _Destiny and Snowman stared at her expectantly. "Well?" they said in unison.

"He wants me to go to his office." Both of her friends' mouths dropped open. "What do you think he wants?" Destiny asked, dumbfounded.

Annette shook her head. "I don't know. He's expecting me at three tomorrow." Her friends looked like they were about to die of shock. "_The _Seto Kaiba wants to talk to you. What for?"

"Well… he kind of saved my life." Snowman just stared at her. "He saved you? That doesn't sound like something Kaiba would do."

"Well," Annette replied. "Maybe he's more than he seems."

Seto Kaiba sat at his enormous mahogany desk, typing furiously on his laptop. He glanced over at the digital clock sitting on the desk and saw that it was 2:56. He pushed the intercom button and said, "Ms. Green, has Ms. Duval arrived yet?"

"Not yet, sir," the nervous receptionist replied. Kaiba sighed. _I should have known she wouldn't come. She's much too guarded to trust a stranger. _Sighing, he was about to resign to the fact that Annette wasn't coming when he heard the receptionist say, "Oh, here she is, sir!"

"Send her in," he said calmly. The door opened slowly, and a familiar blond girl stepped in cautiously. Her eyes darted around the room, analyzing the situation for danger. _Smart girl, _Kaiba thought.

Her eyes finally met his. They simply looked at each other for a few seconds. "Sit," Kaiba ordered. Annette narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not liking being told what to do. For a moment, she stood, obviously contemplating whether or not to obey. Finally, she slowly lowered herself into the armchair in front of his desk.

"You're late," Kaiba said curtly. Annette folded her arms. "Actually, I'm early. In fact, I would have been here earlier, but your security wasn't exactly welcoming."

Kaiba smirked. She certainly didn't look like she belonged there. Her unkempt blond hair was so full of knots and tangles, Kaiba thought she was better off just cutting it all off. She wore a gray sweatshirt that looked to be about three sizes too big for her and jeans that were so torn up that it was a wonder they stayed on her body. She was dangerously, but she didn't look weak in the slightest. Kaiba couldn't help but admire her will.

"So why exactly did you bring me here?" she asked, obviously anxious to escape the prison she saw herself in.

"I have noticed that you are not exactly in the best… situation," he stated. Annette frowned. "Look, Mr. Kaiba, I appreciate what you did for Destiny and me. You saved our lives. But I don't need or want anymore of your charity." She stood up to leave, but what Kaiba said next stopped her. "It's not charity if you give me something in return." The color drained from her face. She turned around, ready to make a run for it, when Kaiba stepped between her and the door.

"I can assure you, I don't want what you think I want. I simply want information." Annette stared at him, confused. "Information?" she questioned.

Kaiba nodded. "Yes. I have eyes everywhere, but what I don't have are ears. There are dozens of dueling gangs out there who would do anything to defeat me." He stopped for a moment, making sure she was still with him. She was.

"I need someone on the streets who will blend in. Someone who can inform me of who intends to challenge me and their dueling abilities."

Annette seemed to mull this over for a few moments. "Okay," she answered. "I'll do it."

Kaiba grinned in satisfaction. "Good. I will be giving you you're first payment in advance, Ms. Duval," he walked over to his desk and started writing the check. "You know, you can just call me Annette," the blond-haired girl said. Kaiba thought about this for a moment. "In that case, you may call me Seto."

Annette looked at him skeptically. When he handed her the check, her expression shifted to utter disbelief. Kaiba pushed the intercom button. "Ms. Green, please escort Ms. Duval out."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."

The receptionist came into the office and put her hand on Annette's shoulder. "I'll show you out, Ms. Duval." Annette finally tore her gaze away from the check and looked at Ms. Green. She simply nodded to her, and the two women headed towards the door. Just as they were about to leave, Annette turned around, facing Kaiba. "Thank you, Seto," she said almost in a whisper. He simply nodded. She smiled at him, and then closed the door behind her.

"Annette, ma belle, it 'as been so long! 'ow are you? 'ave you been eating?" Annette was back at the Chief's place. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she needed to call her aunt and tell her about Kaiba. She sighed. "I'm fine, Aunt Marie."

"Oh, I am so 'appy to 'ear that, ma belle! You do not need anysing?"

"No, I'm good."

"You know, you can still come live 'ere with us."

"No, I can't."

She heard her aunt sigh. "I wish you would let you family take care of you. I am so afraid somesing will 'appen to you."

"I know, Aunt Marie, but you don't have to worry. I got a job." Annette was sure that her aunt wouldn't approve of her working, but she thought it would give her some peace of mind to know that she had money.

"What? Where? What are you doing?" Annette bit her lip, contemplating how much of the truth so should tell her aunt. She trusted her aunt sure, but would she understand?

"I'm working for Seto Kaiba," was all she said. She waited for her aunt to respond for several agonizing seconds. Finally, she heard, "Wh…where did you meet zis… Kaiba?" Annette swallowed a lump in her throat. She couldn't tell Marie about what had happened to Destiny and her. Her aunt would just come to Domino and drag her back to France with her kicking and screaming.

"Umm… I just kind of bumped into him," she finally answered. Another pause. "Aunt Marie?"

"Be very careful, Annette. I 'ave 'eard many sings about zis Kaiba and they are not good," her aunt replied ominously.

"Don't worry, Aunt Marie. I can take care of myself." Annette could hear a sad sort of chuckle, and then her aunt said, "I know, ma belle, I just wish you did not 'ave to."

"I know." A short pause, then she heard, "Well, I suppose you will 'ave to be going now. Au revoir, ma belle. Say 'ello to your mother for me." Annette didn't reply. She simply hung up.

Feeling for the check in her pocket, she pulled it out and looked at it again. She had a hard time wrapping her head around the situation. First, this guy she doesn't know saves her life. Then, he offers her a job and gives her $1,000 in advance? And what's more, she still couldn't figure out why she couldn't see his Darkness. He had one. Everybody does. But why couldn't she see it? That was her Gift and it was failing her when she needed it most.

And yet, she still trusted him. Why? Because he had saved her life? Did that mean he was trustworthy?

Fatigue was threatening to claim her. "Hey Chief, what time is it?"

" 'Bout a quarter till 1. I'm guessin' you're stayin' here tonight?"

Annette smiled weakly. "I don't have anywhere else to go." _Not yet. _

"Don't worry about it, Jinx. You're always welcome here." Finding the least disgusting couch in the place, she plopped down and made herself comfortable. As she dozed off, she thought about Kaiba. _Man, does he have nice eyes…_


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry, I keep forgetting to put my little blurbs at the beginning of each chapter. This is my first fanfic, though I won't ask you to be nice since this is the internet and you can say whatever you want. Just be honest. I jumped back into the past in that last chapter (hope that wasn't too confusing). I won't do that too much, just enough so that you can get some background info.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 4

"Definitely a match," Annette mumbled to herself while carefully examining the fingerprints. One sample came from the scenes of the recent break-ins. The other came from the corpse that was found a few days earlier. It was official: she had found her burglar.

But who exactly was he? She had checked the missing persons reports everyday since the body was found and his appearance didn't match any of the descriptions. It was like the guy just came out of nowhere.

"Hey Duval, you busy?" a voice behind her said. She turned around to see that it belonged to Peter Campbell, one of the Bureau's medical examiners. "Hey there. Pete. No, I'm not busy. Have you written the autopsy report for that Unknown we brought you?"

"I have, but I think you'd better take a look at him yourself." Annette gulped. "Is that really necessary?" she asked. He nodded, a grave expression on his face. Groaning, she followed him into the lab.

No matter how many times she came into the room, she could not get use to the smell of chemicals and death that poisoned her senses. She quickly found the table with her burglar on it and approached it. The man's skin was white as snow and his face held a sort of eerie calmness. "So what exactly is it you what me to see?" she asked, pulling on a pair of latex gloves.

Peter picked up a plastic bag lying on the table next to the body. Annette took it from him and examined the contents. Inside was a small piece of metal. It was shaped almost like a pill; expect that it had a set of small hinges on it. It appeared to be some kind of container.

"What is it?" she questioned so softly that her voice came out as a whisper.

"It appears to be some kind of capsule. I found it attached to an artery."

Annette looked at the man, confused. "What do you think it means?"

The medical examiner's face became even more serious. "I believe that this capsule contained poison. At one point, it had a wireless signal in it."

The agent's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell me that someone had this surgically implanted in him so that they can kill him with a remote control?" He nodded.

Trying to cover up her shock, she asked, "Did you find anything else?" Peter walked over to the exam table, took a hold of the mystery man's head, and turned it to the side so that the back of his neck was facing Annette. There, a small, oddly shaped tattoo occupied his skin.

"Wonder what that's suppose to be," she pondered. She didn't recognize the shape but she had a nagging feeling that she had seen a tattoo like that before. Peter shrugged. "No idea. But something tells me that this guy didn't pick this tattoo. It's an identifying mark."

"You think he's a gang member or something?"

"No gang could afford to have this kind of procedure done."

"The mob?"

Peter looked down. "Perhaps…"

"What's on your mind, Pete?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Something about this case just doesn't sit right with me."

Annette frowned. That was the second person to get freaked out about this case. _Well, third counting myself…_

Annette left the lab with more questions than answers. What kind of person was she dealing with here? Who would pay to have that expensive capsule implanted? And what the hell was that tattoo suppose to be?

Kaiba sat at his desk, typing furiously on his laptop. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he was in a particularly sour mood today. Every little thing pissed him off and he was sure if one more person tried to talk to him then he would explode.

His cellphone rang. Normally, he would ignore a phone call when he was in this kind of mood. But there were only two people who called him on his cell and they were the people who didn't deserve to be ignored. "Kaiba," he answered.

"No way! I thought this was the Pizza Kitchen," said the sarcastic voice on the other end.

"Please tell me you didn't just call to mock me," he groaned. Annette giggled. "No, I just thought I'd start off with a bit of humor. I've had a... disconcerting day."

Kaiba perked up. "Do tell," he said.

As Annette recapped her experience in the autopsy room, Kaiba became more and more tense. He didn't like this new development; instead of clearing the waters, the report made them even murkier. When he didn't respond, Annette became anxious. "You still there?" she asked.

"I'm here," he replied, his voice even despite the worry consuming his mind.

"What are you thinking?" Annette inquired, trying to sound calm.

Kaiba sighed. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you okay, Seto?" She couldn't hide the concern this time.

"I'm fine," he stated. He could hear her sigh with frustration. "Okay. See you Friday. Bye, Seto." Kaiba hung the phone up and leaned back in his chair. _That girl is going to get herself killed one of these days. _

Annette returned to her apartment late that night. Her boss had been making her work ridiculous hours lately and the lack of sleep was taking its toll. It took every last ounce of her energy in order to change into the black tank top and knit shorts that were her pajamas.

Immediately, she fell into a deep slumber. Her sleep, however, was not a peaceful one. She dreamed that she was being chased through the dark streets of Domino. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn't escape the unseen evil that was pursuing her. She turned a corner and found that she was in an alley, the same one from all those years ago when…

A cruel laughter interrupted her thought. "You're mine now," said a malicious voice. The voice sounded neither male nor female. In fact, it didn't even sound human.

Annette could feel the invisible enemy creeping closer to her. She scanned the alley for a way to escape but found that she was trapped. Just like before.

A loud crash woke her from her nightmare. She quickly grabbed the gun from her nightstand drawer and opened her bedroom door. Looking down the hall, she saw nothing. Slowly, she went down the hall towards the living room.

Suddenly, she could hear the sounds of struggling coming from the room. She rushed in and saw the forms of two men entangled with each other on the floor.

"Hey!" she shouted pointing the gun at the two men. One of the men immediately broke away from the other. Before she could react, he charged at her and knocked her against the wall. She was only disoriented for a moment, but that was enough. The man who attacked her dashed out the door.

"Ms. Duval, are you alright?" asked a kind male voice. She looked up to see that the other man was standing over her. "Stephen?" she whispered.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, momentarily forgetting the other intruder. Stephen cleared his throat nervously. "Mr. Kaiba asked me to keep an eye on you."

"He did _what_?" she fumed. Her fear about the second intruder was quickly replaced by anger towards Kaiba. _He assigned one of his security guards to babysit me? I'll kill him!_

"I should also note that he is on his way."

"Great. I can give him a piece of my mind!"

She waited for Kaiba, pacing back and forth within her apartment, becoming more and more angry. _I'm a fucking federal agent! Does he think I can't protect myself? Why, because I'm a girl? When I get my hands on him, I'll…_

The door to her apartment swung open, revealing the tall CEO. Annette opened her mouth to let him have it, but before she could say anything, he pulled her into him, wrapped his arms around her and held her body firmly against his body. She was so stunned, she forgot that she was mad at him for a moment. He held her like that for what seemed like hours.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered so softly, she barely heard him. He finally pulled back enough so the she could look him in the eyes. "I… you…" she began, but then noticed the concern in his eyes. "We'll talk about this later," she finished.

He nodded, then turned towards Stephen. "Where is he?" he questioned.

Stephen looked down. "I'm sorry, sir. He escaped."

"You let him get away?" he sneered. Annette put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be to hard on him. I didn't exactly help the situation."

Kaiba's frown grew deeper. "He just let the man who tried to kill you get away and you want me to go easy on him?"

"We don't know that he wanted to kill me and even if he did, Stephen still saved me." His face softened ever so slightly and he turned back to Stephen. "You may go, Stephen."

"Thank you, sir," he said. He bowed to both Kaiba and Annette then left.

Kaiba looked at Annette. "Get your things," he said. "You're staying with me tonight. Annette wanted to protest, but then she noticed the look in his eyes. They were _pleading _her to just come and not argue. She quickly retrieved her things then followed him to his car.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 5

"Agent Duval, what are you doing here?" the timid receptionist asked. Annette had to talk to Kaiba. The morning after the break-in, she woke up to find that the CEO was long gone. She was mad at him, sure, but she was also quite perplexed. It wasn't like him to avoid a confrontation like this. He was usually straight to the point.

"I need to talk to Seto," she stated bluntly, not wanting to give anything away. The receptionist tapped her fingers on the desk nervously. "Does he kn…know you're c…coming?" Annette shook her head. "I'll c…call him and tell him you're here."

"NO! I don't want him to know I'm here. It'll give him a chance to escape." The girl looked at her quizzically. "Look, it's a long story. Just don't tell him." Her eyes darted around the room anxiously. "I don't think that's a good…" But Annette was already at the door.

She was expecting to simply see him typing away on his laptop, working diligently. Maybe he would have a cup of coffee in his hand, maybe he would be yelling at someone on his cellphone. The one thing she did not expect to see was him kissing Bree.

Bree had her arms around his neck, trying desperately to get him engaged in the kiss. He had his hands in his pockets and his posture suggested disinterest, though he was kissing her back.

They stood like that for several grueling seconds, while Annette processed the scene. _What is he doing? He doesn't even like her! It was just a publicity stunt! Or, was it…_

The two finally broke apart and noticed Annette. She quickly shifted her composure from shock to anger. "Oh…well… I suppose that's my cue to leave," Bree said, trying to sound ashamed. Annette examined her shadow. Malice.

Bree quickly pecked Kaiba on the cheek and left, but not before giving Annette a vicious look, which Annette happily returned. She turned to Kaiba. "Making out with your girlfriend in your office. Classy," she sneered.

He scowled at her. "I suppose you want to talk about the incident from the other night."

"Correct," she said, strolling as casually as possible and leaning on his desk. "Care to explain why you thought that I couldn't protect myself. I am a government agent after all." Kaiba ran his fingers through his hair. He looked like he was trying to find the words. Finally, he spoke.

"You know, it kills me, what you do." Annette was surprised by his response, but she didn't want to show it. "What do you mean?"

"Every day, you put your life on the line. You come face-to-face with gang members and murderers. Why? You could have worked here, where I could keep you safe. You would make more money. You would have more respect."

Annette looked him, shock in her eyes. "I…I don't do it for the money or prestige. I do it to help people."

Kaiba's voice became softer. "You could get killed."

Annette looked to the floor. "I'm not afraid to die."

His eyes rested on her, his face expressionless. He slowly approached her. When he was only a few inches away from her, he put his hands on the desk so that he had her trapped between his arms. He leaned over her. "I would never let that happen," he whispered into her ear. Then, she felt his lips graze her neck.

A knock at the door distracted Kaiba long enough for Annette to escape his arms. She answered the door and saw a familiar dark-haired boy standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey there, Annette. I didn't know you were here."

"Hey, Mokuba. Seto and I were just…" She swallowed a lump in her throat. "…talking."

The young teen smiled at her. "Actually, it's a good thing you're here. There's something I need to give you." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Annette. "What's this?" she asked.

"An invitation to the Grand Championship Gala. It's this Saturday." Annette eyed the envelope skeptically. "I don't know, Mokuba. Fancy parties aren't really my thing. Besides, I don't even have a date."

The boy grinned at her mischievously. "You can be my date!"

Annette laughed. "I think I'm a little too old for you, Mokuba." He giggled. "Yeah, I know. But I _really _want you to come. Everyone will be so much older than me and I won't have anyone to talk to!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go! Just promise you'll protect me from all those pervs that always show up," Annette teased.

"I promise!" he said, putting his fist over his heart valiantly. She smiled down on him and said, "I have to go now. I'll see you on Saturday." Mokuba gave her one last grin, then dashed off.

She glanced back at Kaiba. He was looking out the window with his trademark blank expression. It was times like these that made her wish she could see his Darkness. She couldn't think of what to say, so she just closed the door behind her.

Kaiba pulled a thick file out of his desk with the words, "Duval, Annette," written on the tab. He had made sure he had the only copy. He knew that if anyone else saw it, they would write her off as a lost cause.

Flipping through it, his heart sank. He couldn't believe what she went through. She had been arrested for all kinds of things. Shoplifting, vandalism, prostitution… of course she was innocent of all those charges. She never hurt anyone else. Only herself. She spent time in jail for underage drinking and smoking.

But why? Kaiba had done extensive research on her after meeting her and found out that she wasn't always Annette Duval. At one point, she was Annette Rose, daughter of billionaire American electronics tycoon Walter Rose.

After her parents divorced, her mother received sole custody of her and took her to Domino City. A year later, her mother was found dead under mysterious circumstances. But why did that mean she had to live on the streets? Even if her father didn't want her, her mother's family was wealthy as well and would have gladly taken her. Why did she choose to live on the streets? Kaiba desperately wanted to know.

Then, he thought about what he almost did. There was no denying it any longer. He loved her.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry this took so long. This chapter proved particularly challenging to write. Oh, well. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 6

"You're going to the Grand Championship Gala?" Kori inquired. Annette's partner was casually leaning on her desk with one hand holding a cup of coffee and the other in his pocket. His hazel eyes bore down on her skeptically. "How did you score a ticket to that party?"

"Let's just say I know people," Annette replied curtly. She didn't really want to talk about the Gala, especially to her partner. She couldn't understand why Kori was so interested in it.

"Who ya gonna go with?" he asked eagerly.

"No one. Why, you wanna go?"

A big smile grew on Kori's face. "Would I! What time should I pick you up?" Annette sighed. "Seven thirty. And remember, this is not a date."

Kori pretended to pout. "Ah, come on!" he exclaimed. Annette just laughed. "I'm not too keen on dating at the moment," she replied honestly. What happened between her and Kaiba had left her hurt and confused. She did not want to add another layer to her emotional burden.

Kori shrugged. "It's cool. I'm just glad I get to go. Maybe we'll meet Yugi Muoto or Seto Kaiba while we're there!"

_God, I hope not._ "Maybe," she all she said.

Annette stood in her closet, staring at the lone dress hanging in her closet. She felt like she was wasting, but maybe it would give her the strength she would need to get through the night.

Once she was finished getting ready, she looked in the mirror. The sight of her reflection almost brought her to tears. _I miss you, Mom._

She looked down at her wrists, remembering the matching pink lines that adorned each one. She searched her entire jewelry collection to find something to cover them. A thick silver bracelet was all she could find. The doorbell rang and she prayed that no one would notice the other line.

When she answered the door, she was shocked at what she saw. Kori stood there in a designer tux she was sure cost more than his salary. But what was even stranger was his Darkness. He was completely consumed by Greed.

"Wow, you look great," he said. She simply nodded in reply, too unsettled to speak. _Maybe my Gift isn't working like it used to…_

Irritation was threatening to get the better of Kaiba. Stranger after stranger kept approaching him, pretending to be an old friend of his in order to get his or her fifteen minutes of fame. It would take every ounce of his patience to get through the night.

Suddenly, the incessant chatter of the partygoers hushed. Kaiba scanned the room trying to figure out what had captured everybody's attention.

There she was. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen was descending the grand staircase. She had golden blond hair that was pinned back with an intricately designed silver hair pin and her eyes were the color of leaves in the spring. She wore a simple silver dress with thin straps and a dangerously high slit up the leg. She held a silver clutch in her hand and heels to match. It was only when her eyes met his did he realize who she was.

"Annette, darling!" Bree called out to her. When Annette noticed her, Kaiba could see her trying to find a way to escape. Bree dashed over to her and gave her a hug, which she reluctantly returned. As he made his way over to the two women, he noticed the man Annette came in with. He was young, tall, and muscular. Kaiba could feel the fury burning inside of him.

He wasn't sure what it was about her, but she seemed distraught. She kept glancing at her date nervously. Kaiba didn't want her to be uncomfortable, but he was glad that she didn't seem to be attracted to him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said as he approached the group. Annette was trying to look calm, but he could tell that she was upset. Her date was staring at him wide eyed, but something about his expression seemed feigned.

"No, it's fine," Annette said without her usual confidence. She was looking away from him, nervously holding her wrist. Kaiba wanted nothing more than to just take her in his arms and tell her that it was alright, but he restrained himself.

"Darling, where did you find this dress? It's absolutely gorgeous!" Bree asked excitedly.

"It was my mother's," she muttered so softly that Kaiba was the only one who heard her.

"What was that?" Bree asked.

Annette, realizing what she said, tried to cover it up. "Oh, it was just something I stumbled across one day," she stated vaguely.

"Well, it looks just wonderful on you." Annette managed to give her a small smile before returning to her unnerved disposition.

"Who's your friend?" Kaiba asked. Annette looked confused for a second, then, remembering her date, she blushed. "Oh, umm, Seto, this is my partner, Kori Monroe," she said gesturing to her date. "Kori, this is Seto Kaiba."

The two men shook hands. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Kaiba," Kori said.

"Likewise," Kaiba replied.

"Well, we don't want to take up too much of your time," Kori remarked before leading Annette away from Kaiba.

Annette sat at a table alone, rubbing her temples. The Gala was causing her more stress than two years of working for the Bureau. She eyed her clutch hungrily.

"Hey Annette!" an enthusiastic young voice belted at her. Mokuba bounded over to the table where she sat alone. He had a huge grin on his face, obviously happy to see her. She managed to return the smile, remembering why she was there in the first place.

"Hi, Mokuba. How are you enjoying your first Grand Championship Gala?"

The boy just shrugged. "It's alright. A couple of times, people have told me to go get them drinks because they think I'm just some teenage waiter. Needless to say, those people aren't here anymore." Annette laughed. _Typical Seto, kicking someone out for insulting his brother._

"What about you, Annette?" Mokuba asked. She bit her lip nervously. "Umm… It's okay," she commented vaguely.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice breathed into her ear. Something about it sent shivers down Annette's spine. She turned around slowly to see who the voice belonged to.

A tall, lean man stood behind her, uncomfortably close. His hair was mostly black, but she could see a few gray strands. He had piercing dark eyes and a goatee. His Darkness was pure Lust.

"May I have this dance?" Her eyes dated around the room, franticly searching for Kori. She couldn't find him, but she saw Kaiba. He stood talking to someone with Bree draped over him. She weighed her options in her head. She definitely did _not _want to dance with this man, but she had never told Kaiba about her Gift. Even if she did, he would probably think she was crazy. Plus, she was much too prideful to run to him for protection.

Resignation setting in, she accepted the man's hand and gave Mokuba an apologetic look. His eyes danced with delight at the sight of her distress. A shudder went over her body, though she tried to conceal it. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her squirm.

The dark-haired man led her out in middle of the dance floor. He put his hand on her back and she put her's on his shoulder and they began to dance to the music. "You are looking quite ravishing this evening," he purred. Annette had to resist the urge to just run away right there. "Umm… thank you Mister…?"

"King. Richard King," he introduced.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. King," she lied. "I'm…"

"You don't have to worry about introducing yourself, Agent Duval. I already know who you are." Her eyes widened at him. "You… you do?" she stuttered, baffled that someone important enough to come to Kaiba's Grand Championship Gala would know who she was.

"Of course I do. You're Kaiba's girl," he stated. "Though I don't know why you associate with him. He doesn't even realize how… special you are."

It took all of Annette's willpower to keep herself calm. "Look, pal, I don't know how you are, but it's none of your business who I'm friends with," she sneered, trying to sound as threatening as possible. This, however, did not seem to deter him and his wicked grin grew.

"It's a pity, really. He chooses that plain little Pawn over the beautiful Queen standing right in front of him." He tightened his hold on her and put his lips to her ear. "Maybe I should show him what he's missing."

Annette could feel his hand sliding down her back. She tried to break free of his grasp, but he was too strong. Suddenly, she was standing on the street corner with Destiny, watching the stranger approach them. _No, _she thought. _Not again._

A wave of strength surged through her and she was finally able to break away from him. She rushed over to her table, grabbed her clutch, and ran to the balcony.

The night had been incredibly boring for Kaiba, as per usual. Most of it was spent listening to others praise him for his dueling skills and being dragged around by Bree. He was starting to wonder why he bother to put on this stupid party.

Then, while half-listening to Bree describe her next acting job, something on the dance floor caught his attention. Annette was dancing with Richard King, CEO of King Me Games. _What would he want with her?_

He realized this, however, when he saw Annette's face. Dread and fear consumed every feature, though she was trying to hide it. He had only seen that look on her face one other time, and his whole body became rigid with fury at the thought of it.

"Seto, sweetie, what's wrong?" Bree aske, more annoyed than concerned.

"I'll be right back," he said, walking off before she could respond.

By the time he reached the dance floor, Annette had stormed off and King stood alone. Kaiba wanted to give him a piece of his mind, but decided that he had better attend to Annette first. He simply shot King a dark look, which was returned with a satisfied grin. Gritting his teeth, he continued to look for Annette.

He finally found her on the balcony. She stood with her back to the party. There was something in her hand, but he couldn't see what it was until he got closer: a cigarette.

For several minutes, he just stood there, looking at her. She was like a broken porcelain statue; no matter how hard people tried to fix her, the cracks where she was shattered were still visible. She was broken beyond repair.

"I thought you quit," he finally said, stepping out onto the balcony. She whirled around, startled at the sound of his voice. Surprise quickly turned to anger as she narrowed her eyes at him. "What's it to you?" she snapped.

He frowned at her. "Those things will kill you," he said.

"I'm counting on it," she snorted.

Kaiba clenched his fists in anger. "Why do you do this?" he sneered, trying to control his anger.

"Do what?" she snapped. He stepped closer to her.

"Destroy yourself," he whispered more calmly this time. "It's like you don't think you're worth it."

She didn't say anything. She just put out her cigarette and looked down, unable to meet his eyes. He put his hand under her chin, tilting her head so that she was forced to look in his eyes. The look in her eyes made his heart ache. Sadness dominated her expression.

"What happened?" he asked. Her body tensed up and she tried to get away from him, but he blocked her way. "Annette, what happened? What did King do?"

She huffed. "Nothing. He's just another run-of-the-mill perv," she replied curtly.

"Then what's bothering you so much?"

For a moment, she seemed conflicted. She appeared to be trying to figure out what to say. _There's something she's not telling me…_

"Annette?" he said. She looked at him with an expression he didn't recognize. "Why the hell do you care anyway?" she sneered venomously.

Kaiba was silenced, knowing he couldn't give her the answer. "That's what I thought," she said, then grabbed her clutch and stormed off into the ballroom.

Annette just wanted to go home. She scanned the room, trying to find Kori. She walked around for a few minutes, not finding him. A hand fell on her shoulder and she turned around, praying it wasn't Kaiba or Richard. Luckily, it was only Mokuba.

"Hey Annette, are you okay? I saw what Mr. King did, and it was disgusting. I'll make sure that Seto hears about it," he said, his voice full of concern.

"No! I'm fine, Mokuba. Please don't tell Seto about this. He has enough to worry about with the Grand Championship Tournament coming up."

Mokuba raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" he asked.

"Positive. Say, you haven't seen my date have you?" He shook his head. She sighed. "Oh, well, I guess I'd better go find him. Goodnight, Mokuba."

Mokuba simply smiled. "Goodnight," he said before racing off towards a girl that looked to be about his age. _Ah, l'amour._

Annette went out front, thinking that Kori had gone back to the car. The night sky was clear and the air was brisk. It was starting to warm up, but winter was still hanging around. A breeze blew by, and Annette felt herself shiver. _Where is he?_

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind, and put a hand covered with a cloth over her mouth. She tried to fight off her attacker, but the chloroform was quickly making her dizzy. Within seconds, she had passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 7

Annette's eyes blinked open. The room was dark, but she could tell it was large. Her hands were bound above her head, her body being held up by a rope. Her shoes had been taken off, and she could feel the cold, concrete ground beneath her feet.

For a moment, Annette couldn't remember what had happened. Then, the memories came rushing back. The party. Mokuba. Richard King. _Seto…_

The sound of a rusty door opening brought her back to the present. Panic set in as she listened to the footsteps approaching her. She hung her head, trying to look like she was still passed out.

"You're not fooling me, Duval," a familiar voice mocked. It took her a moment to place the voice. "K… Kori?" she stammered.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," he taunted, stepping closer to her. Annette was completely baffled. _Why would Kori want to hurt me? _

"What are you doing?" she commanded, trying to sound forceful. He snickered. "Don't worry, Duval, I'm not gonna kill you, or hurt you for that matter. You belong to my employer. Wouldn't want to damage the merchandise."

"Your employer?" she questioned.

"Yeah, he seems really interested in you for some reason. He says you're the 'Queen'." She racked her brain, trying to remember where she had heard that before, though a splitting headache was preventing her from connecting the dots.

Instead, she decided to turn her attention to Kori. "Good to know you've demoted yourself from field agent to delivery boy," she spat out. He scowled at her and clenched his fists. "Be quiet, you stupid whore. My employer pays me ten times what the Bureau ever would. I'd kick puppies all day for that kind of money."

"Something tells me it wouldn't take much to convince you to kick a puppy." This time, her didn't hold back. He slapped her square across the face. "Shut up, bitch," he said. Then, his scowl turned into a vicious grin. "I can't wait until my employer gets ahold of you. You'll be on your knees in no time."

That did it. Annette kicked him right in the groin. He fell to his knees, putting his hand over his family jewels. "Who's the bitch now?" she mocked.

The door opened again, and Annette squinted her eyes trying to see who it was. "God, Kori, you're so pathetic. You can't even handle her when she's tied up," a female voice scolded. _It can't be…_

Bree sauntered over to the man on the ground, pulling him to his feet by the ear. "I got her here, didn't I!" he exclaimed. Annette could tell he was still in pain, but he wouldn't let Bree see his anguish.

"I don't see why he thinks _she _is his queen. She's so plain." She approached Annette and grimaced in disgust. "And look at those musles! She looks like an Amazon!"

"Pardon me for interrupting your Insulting Annette rant, but if your employer wants me so badly, why don't you just take me to him now?" Annette was trying to distract them long enough for her to think of a way out of there.

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart, he'll have you soon enough. We just have to wait for the White King to get here," Bree replied with an evil sneer.

Kaiba sat at his desk, staring at the phone. He hadn't seen or heard from Annette since the party, and she usually called him every day. Was she mad at him? He hoped not. He wasn't sure he could take it if she hated him after the other night.

At first, he thought he should just give her some space. She would come around eventually, he thought. But not seeing or talking to her was killing him. Finally, he decided to just call her.

The phone rang several times before going to voicemail. He sighed and put down the phone. _I knew it. She doesn't want to talk to me._

Kaiba went back to work, though he wasn't really focused on what he was doing. He kept trying to think of ways to get Annette to forgive him She had always been an extremely private person. He shouldn't have pried.

His phone rang again, and he looked at the caller ID, hoping it was Annette. He was slightly disappointed when he saw that it was Mokuba.

"Seto! Turn on the news!" Mokuba yelled, not even waiting for Kaiba to say hello.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just turn it on!" he exclaimed. Kaiba immediately hung up the phone, then turned on the local news.

"Annette Duval, a local DBI agent, has been reported missing by her coworkers. Her superior stated that she failed to show up to work this morning. When her partner, Kori Anchu, visited her apartment and when he found that she was not home, he reported her as missing. Sources say that Agent Duval was last seen at the Grand Championship Gala. Police currently have no information as to her whereabouts. Here is a picture of Annette Duval along with a description. If you have any information about her, please call the number at the bottom of the screen."

A picture of Annette flashed on the screen. It was one Kaiba had never seen before. She was wearing a simple white cotton dress and her hair was down. Her face was bright and happy, and she looked unusually unguarded. It was so different from the Annette Kaiba was used to.

Kaiba was sure that the sound of his heart breaking could be heard from miles away. He should have followed her. He should have protected her. For all he knew, she could be dead, and it would be his fault.

He whipped out his cellphone and called his Head of Security. "Roland, get every available man out on the streets. I want you to find Annette."

"Already on it," Roland replied, aware of his boss's fondness for the missing agent.

"Good," Kabia said, and then hung up. He was glad that Roland had the forethought to send security out, but it wasn't good enough for him. He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door.

The size of Domino City always seemed to surprise Kaiba. He had been driving around the city all afternoon, and he had barely covered a quarter of it. _I'll never find her like this._

Something caught his eye, and he stopped the car. He was in a bad part of town and he noticed an unusually nice car sitting in front of an old warehouse. _Is that Bree's Porsche? _He parked his car and went to examine the car. _Yep, definitely Bree's, _he thought when he spotted the kitty bobble-head sitting on the dashboard. _What would she be doing in a place like this?_

The warehose appeared to be completely abandoned. He recognized it as one that his stepfather used to use to store military weapons. That added another level of weirdness to the situation.

He tried to look inside, but quickly discovered that there were no windows. There was, however, a door. As he pushed the door open, it made a terrible creaking noise. At first, the room seemed empty, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed a figure standing in the middle of the room. It was a woman.

She didn't appear to be injured, but her wrists were bound above her head and her eyes were closed. A cloth was tied around her mouth, and she wore a formal silver dress.

"Annette!" he shouted as he ran over to the limp girl. This seemed to rouse her, as she began to stir. "Annette, are you alright?" he whispered. For a moment, she looked at him with a confused expression. Then, her eyes shot open, and she began shaking her head furiously. "It's okay, Annette, I'm here," he said, trying to sooth her, but she seemed even more panicked.

That's when he felt the knife in his back.

Annette watched in horror as Kaiba fell to back ground tears ran from her eyes, and she sobbed through the cloth covering her mouth. A puddle of blood was quickly forming around his body.

Bree stood above Kaiba with the knife in her hand and a triumphant grin on her face.

"Gee, Duval, no wonder they call you Jinx. Everyone around her seems to end up in a pool of their own blood."

Hatred burned in her heart. She would make Bree and Kori pay for this.

"You know, Kaiba, it's kind of pathetic how you pinned for this little whore. You tried to hide it, but I could see right through your little act," Bree sneered.

"You'll pay for this," Kaiba said weakly. His face was becoming paler and paler by the minute.

"I don't think you're in any position to be throwing out threats, Kaiba." She began to circle him like a vulture. "You know, I could just finish you off now, but what fun would that be? My employer didn't specify how you were to be killed, so I think I'll just leave you there to suffer," she said as she turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door with a deafening bang.

Annette tugged at her restraints furiously. She had to help Seto. There was no way she would let him die on her watch.

It was no use. The rope was too strong. She looked down at the bleeding man at her feet. He noticed her panicked expression and tried to sit up to reassure her, but he had lost too much blood and didn't have the strength. Her heart sank.

A loud creaking warned her that someone was entering the room. In the doorway stod a male figure. At first, Annette was afraid it was Kori again. But, then, the man rushed towards her and Kaiba and she recognized Kaiba's personal bodyguard.

Roland quickly untied Annette's hands and she pulled the cloth off of her mouth. She crouched down next to Kaiba. "Roland, call an ambulance."

"It has already been done," he said with a gentle smile. She smiled back at the man and mouthed a silent 'thank you'. Turning her attention back to Kaiba, her heart dropped at the sight of his blood. She frantically searched for something to wrap up the wound. A hand with a roll of gauze in it appeared before her face and she looked back up at Roland. He nodded at her to take it.

She tried to wrap the wound, but she couldn't lift him up to get the gauze around his stomach, so Roland had to help. Finally, they got him bandaged up, but he almost immediately bled through it.

"Oh, Seto, I'm… so sorry about…what I said…at the Gala," she cried between sobs. He lifted a shaky finger to her lips. "Shhhh…" he whispered. He put his hand on her cheek and wiped a stray tear away. "You know…" he began. "I wouldn't mind if your face was the last thing I saw before I died," he breathed laboriously.

"No, don't say that. You're gonna be alright. You're not gonna…" Suddenly, his hand was on the back of her head and he was pulling her to him. When her lips met his, she froze. He kissed her with a desperate passion, knowing that he would not have the chance to do it again.

Kaiba let her go and his head hit the floor with a horrible thud. "Seto? Seto!" she cried, but it was no use. He had passed out.

"Why the…how the…how did you get in here?" Annette heard Kori stammer. He stood in the doorway, ready to run as soon as necessary. Roland dashed towards him. Kori quickly turned around and ran away.

Annette scanned the room, looking for something to use for a weapon in case Bree came back. She found a pistol in the corner of the room. I didn't have any rounds in it, but she could hit her with the butt. Kneeling back down beside Kaiba, see checked his pulse. It was weak, but there.

A noise caught her attention, and she strained to her it. Sirens. _Hold on, Seto. Just a little longer._

As the sirens drew closer, Annette was able to calm down a bit. She sat down next to Kaiba and held one of his hands. It was very, very cold.

Two EMTs burst through the door, holding a bunch of medical equipment and pulling a stretcher. "Please step back, ma'am," one of them said. They immediately got to work replacing the bandages and hooking him up to the equipment. After a few minutes, they got him on the stretcher and loaded him on the ambulance with Annette right behind them. "You're gonna be alright," she whisper to him before the sirens came back on and they raced off to the hospital.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Déjà vu, _Annette thought as she sat in the hospital waiting room. The nurses had wanted to admit her, but she insisted that she was fine and that they focus on Seto. She had only been sitting there for about forty-five minutes, but to her, it felt like hours.

"Oh my gods, Annette, are you alright?" She was barely able to stand up before Destiny nearly crushed her in a hug. "I'm fine," she stated weakly. Destiny pulled away and examined her friend. "Oh, sweetie, your dress."

Annette looked down on her mother's dress. There was a big bloodstain right on her stomach. She hadn't even noticed.

"I'll worry about it later," she said. She noticed a bag in Destiny's hand. "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, right! After you called, I went by your apartment and grabbed some clothes for you. I figured you would need a fresh set of clothes. Here, go change and give me your dress and I'll take it to my dry cleaner. Kayla can do wonders." Her friend smiled, holding out the bag to her. "Thank you, D."

"No problem! Now get that dress off so that we can fix it!"

Annette found a bathroom and changed into the outfit that was in the bag: a dark blue sweater, a pair of black jeans and black boots. Before leaving the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped. She turned to the mirror and her mouth dropped just a bit. Her outfit was eerily similar to what she was wearing the night Destiny was stabbed. She suddenly felt like that scared teenage girl again, unable to take care of herself, let alone the people she cared about. Her own Darkness was visible to her: Despair.

Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts away. _Get ahold of yourself, Annette. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help Seto._

She left the bathroom and found Destiny waiting patiently in the waiting room. She handed her the bag containing the bloodstained dress. Destiny gave her another big hug. "You gonna be okay here by yourself?" Annette nodded. "Alright. I'll get this to the cleaners." Destiny said before dashing off.

Annette slumped back down in the uncomfortable waiting room chair. Resting her hand on her fist, she could feel the lack of sleep catching up to her. Just as she was about to doze off, an anxious young voice called out to her. "Annette! Where's Seto? What happened?" She turned around to see Mokuba running towards her.

"Mokuba! There you are! I was worried," she exclaimed, wondering why the boy hadn't arrived sooner. "Yeah, no one told me about it till just a few minutes ago. I had to beg my driver to take me here!" he yelled. Then, his anger turned to solemnness. "Tell me the truth, Annette. How bad is it?"

Annette looked into the boy's big, sad eyes and she felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "I don't know, Mokuba. He's lost a lot of blood…" she trailed off, unable to keep her voice steady anymore.

Mokuba wrapped his arms around her and began to sob. She simply held him, allowing a few tears to escape from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mokuba. This is all my fault."

He looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"He got hurt protecting me. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be here…"

Mokuba pulled away a little bit. "Don't blame yourself, Annette. You didn't stab him. Besides, I know he wouldn't mind dying if it were for you. He really cares about you, you know."

Even though he was trying to make her feel better, Annette just felt like she let them both down. She an agent, for Christ's sake! It was her job to protect people and she couldn't even do that right. She was beginning to think her father was right.

A doctor approached the two. Mokuba ran up to him. "Is he okay?" he asked anxiously. The doctor gave him a kind smile. "The surgery went swimmingly. He'll be find, but he'll need to rest for a few weeks."

"May we see him?" Annette asked.

"Of course. Follow me." He went through a series of hallways before entering a single room.

It amazed Annette how, even when he was sleeping, Kaiba's demeanor maintained an air of authority. His body was rigid and his expression was stone cold. It was good to know that he would be back to his old self in no time.

Mokuba pulled a chair up to his bed, while Annette sat in an armchair a little farther away. "When do you think he'll wake up?" he asked her.

"Hopefully not before I do," she replied before making herself comfortable and falling fast asleep.

When, Annette woke up, the sun had gone down and a nurse was making the empty bed. "Wait, where did Seto go?" she question, panic quickly taking over her expression. The nurse looked up from her work. "Ah, you're up," she stated casually.

"After Mr. Kaiba woke up, he demanded to be discharged. His personal physician is caring for him back at the Kaiba Mansion. One of his drivers is waiting for you out front."

Annette sighed in relief. She got up, thanked the nurse, and went to find the driver. She was surprised to see that it was Roland. "Roland, are you alright?" she asked. The bodyguard nodded. "I was able to catch the man, but the woman seems to have disappeared." He opened the door to the limo and she got in.

"Shall I be taking you home, Ms. Duval?"

"No, take me to the Kaiba Mansion."

Roland paused. "He won't let you see him in his condition, you know. He was appalled when he saw that you were in his hospital room."

Her shoulders slumped. "I know," she replied. "But I still want to be there. Mokuba needs someone." He nodded and rolled the privacy screen up.

Annette was sad that she wouldn't be able to see him for a while, though she wasn't surprised. He was much too prideful to allow her to see him when he was weak. It was a defense mechanism Annette was all too familiar with.

The limo pulled up to the manor, and she didn't even wait for Roland to open the door before she rushed out of the limo and into the manor. She went straight to Kaiba's room and simply stood in front of the door. The desire to open the door was killing her.

"Annette, what are you doing here? You should be at home, resting." Mokuba came up to her, worry in his eyes. She smiled and patted his head. "I'm alright, kid. Besides, someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble while your brother's bedridden."

"I'm not bedridden," Kaiba's gruff voice growled through the door. She laughed at his stubbornness. "Well, you'd better be resting, because if I catch you out of your room for the next few weeks, you will be!" she joked. Mokuba snickered and Kaiba said nothing. "You told him," Mokuba whispered.

"I can still hear you," Kaiba said. The two laughed again, and Annette began to lead Mokuba away. "Come on, Mokuba. We'd better go before we get into trouble."

For the next few weeks, Annette stayed at the Kaiba Mansion, mostly to keep Mokuba busy. When she went back to her apartment to get her stuff, she was pleasantly surprised to find her silver dress hanging up in her closet with a note that just said, "You're welcome." She would have to thank Destiny when she saw her again.

Mokuba was a bit more jittery than usual, but other than that, he seemed fine. Annette was given some personal time off to recover from her recent, "trauma", so she didn't have anything better to do than to keep Mokuba from worrying too much. When Mokuba was at school, Annette spent her time reviewing the facts of her case. She didn't know why but she had a feeling that the dead burglar and what happened to her were connected.

One day, about two weeks after the incident, she received a call from Peter Cambell. "We're not gonna believe this, but Kori's dead," he said.

"What?"

"Yep. Just did the autopsy on him. Guess what I found."

She didn't reply, indicating for him to continue. "The same kind of capsule I found in the burglar. I'm telling you, Duval, this case just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

"Make sure you email me the pictures," Annette said curtly before hanging up. It seemed like the more she learned about the case, the more confusing it became. And what's more, the police still hadn't found Bree. It was beginning to frustrate her.

Needing to clear her head, she decided to take a walk in the garden. She stepped outside, and the spring air greeted her with a warm breeze. She had been unsure about the dress she had put on that morning, but now, she decided, it was perfect for the beautiful day.

The gardens were huge and immaculately manicured. Annette guessed that Kaiba must have at least twenty people to maintain them. She strolled through the hedges and flowers, taking in all the scents and colors.

A little white gazebo sat in the middle of all the foliage. Vines of flowers clung to the sides of it. It had a bench on the inside, and Annette decided to sit down. The combination of the comfortable weather and the subtle scent of lavender were making her sleepy. She hadn't really slept well since she was at the hospital. Her sleep was dominated by terrifying nightmares. Before she could stop herself, she laid her head down on the bench and fell into a deep sleep.

Restlessness was starting to get the better of Kaiba. His doctor told him he still needed to rest, but he couldn't stay cooped up in his room forever.

He got out of his bed and looked out the window. The gardens were already in full bloom. He wasn't sure why he kept paying people to take care of them. He didn't much care for flowers.

Something caught his eye, and he focused his gaze on the gazebo. Lying on the bench was the familiar form of Annette, sleeping soundly.

A small smile grew on his face. He quickly got dressed and headed down to the gardens, making a beeline for the gazebo. There, he could see that Annette was wearing the same dress she was wearing in the picture that was shown in the news. She looked much younger in that dress, less like a serious DBI agent and more like a carefree young adult.

He considered waking her up, but he remembered her words about not leaving his room. A solution to the problem quickly came to him, and he kneeled down in front of the bench. Being careful not to wake her, he picked her up and carried her back into the mansion.

When Annette woke up, she was surprised to discover that she was in a bed. _I must have woken up and gone to bed without realizing it, _she thought. She sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She wasn't one to take naps, but she was glad that she had. She was really tired.

"Did you sleep well?" a familiar voice asked. She jumped and looked to the armchair in the corner of the room. Kaiba sat there with his laptop on his lap and a smirk on his face.

"Hey, I thought I told you that if I saw you outside of your room, I'd kill you," she said, regaining her composure.

"I am in my room," he replied triumphantly. She looked around and realized that he was right. They were in his room. "Then how did I get here?" she asked.

"I carried you," he said. She opened her mouth to respond, but Kaiba cut her off. "You said that you would kill me if you saw me outside of my room. You didn't see me." She thought about this for a second, and then sighed in resignation. "You cheated," she grumbled, folding her arms.

"I didn't know we were playing a game," he replied slyly as he stood up and put his laptop in the chair.

"Whatever," she huffed. "You still shouldn't have done that. You could have popped your stitches." She was looking away from him, clearly irritated with him. He sat down on the bed next to her. "It would have been worth it," he whispered into her ear as he began to wrap an arm around her.

She stood up abruptly, shaking off his arm. He leaned back on the bed, trying to be patient with her. "I… I should go and let you rest," she mumbled, but before she could leave, Kaiba grabbed her wrist. "I've done enough resting to last me the rest of my life. I want to see you," he said gently. She didn't know what else to down, so she simply allowed him to pull her back onto the bed.

"Annette…what happened at the warehouse...," he began, trying to figure out what to say next.

"It's okay, Seto. You had lost a lot of blood. You sere probably just delirious," Annette said were a nervous laugh, but his serious expression did not change.

"I can assure you, Annette, that I was completely…" He leaned in closer to her and ran a finger down her spine. "Lucid."

She shivered and tried to move away, but his hand stopped her. "I…I didn't realize you felt that way about me," she whispered, not looking at him. He came closer. "Yes. I just wish that you felt the same way about me," he said before standing up to leave. Annette grabbed the shirt of his sleeve before he could go. "Who said I don't feel the same way?" she said looking down.

"Then why do you keep pushing me away?" She looked up at him, sadness filling her eyes. "Because I feel guilty," she said so softly he could barely hear her.

"About what?" he asked, sitting back down on the bed. He hesitantly tried to put his arm around her shoulder, afraid that she would brush him off again. But she accepted the gesture and rested her head on his shoulder. "That I haven't told you anything about my past."

"I know about your past. I did research on you when I hired you. I have your file…"

"There are some things you won't find in any file," she said ominously. He looked down on her with a questioning look. "Like what?"

"You'd better make yourself comfortable. It's a long story."


	9. Chapter 9

Welcome to another obligitory background story chapter! Needless to say, I'm not a fan of this chapter, but it's kind of necessary.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 9

"Did I ever tell you that I had a twin brother?" Annette began. Kaiba's eyes widened slightly, but he simply shook his head. "Well, I did," she continued.

"I'm the youngest of five sisters. My father wanted a boy, so he and my mother kept trying. Finally he got my brother and well… I was just kind of an extra." Her voice became solemn and quiet.

"One day, Andre became very sick. My parents took him to the doctor, and he was diagnosed with leukemia. He only lived for a year after that." She stopped, trying to regain her composure. Kaiba gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and she closed the distance between them.

"After that, my parents would not stop fighting. I eavesdropped on one of their arguments once, and I heard my father say…" She swallowed a lump in her throat. "I heard him say that it should have been me."

Kaiba stared down on her with a pained expression. _What kind of father would say something like that? _he thought. He did his best to contain his rage, but some of it leaked out onto his face, which didn't go unnoticed by Annette.

She, however, had to go on. "The day after that fight, my mother told me to pack my things. We were on a flight to Domino City that afternoon."

"Why did she bring you here?" he asked her.

"You know, I've been wondering that for years. I honestly have no idea. She never told me," she answered.

"As you know, about a year after coming here, my mother died." This statement came out choked. "I didn't want to go into a foster home, so I ran away." She looked up at him with a serious expression on her face. "It… it was hard, but I managed. But some things just don't leave you."

She started rubbing her wrists, and Kaiba noticed for the first time the pink lines on each one. "I had a boyfriend, for a while. He was a little older than me and much stronger. I thought it would be a good idea to have some one to protect me. But one night, he got really drunk. We were at someone's apartment. He kept trying to get me into the bedroom, but I just wanted to leave. Finally, he forced me in there, and he…"

She buried her face in Kaiba's chest. He stroked her hair. "You don't have to say it," he whispered. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could bear to hear.

"Afterwards, he beat me within an inch of my life and left me for dead in an ally," she sobbed.

"You don't have to go on, you know." She shook her head and straightened up a bit. "No, I do. I've gotten this far. I can't stop now."

Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I was found by a waiter taking out the trash. It was a miracle I survived, but that wasn't how I felt at the time. While I was at the hospital, I got my hands on a scalpel and I did this." She showed him her wrists. Kaiba took one of them in his hand and gently stroked the scar with his thumb.

"They moved me to the psych ward for a few weeks after that, and then they discharged me. Not long after, I ran into you," she finished.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Kaiba held Annette close to him, wanting nothing more than to take away her pain, though he knew it was impossible. He looked down on her. She seemed slightly relieved, but he could tell that she was still holding something back. "Annette, what is it that you're not telling me?" he questioned.

"You'll think I'm crazy," she sobbed.

"Try me."

She sighed. "My mother's family is known for being… different. All of my aunts and cousins have… Gifts. I have one too." She looked at Kaiba to make sure he was following her. He seemed a bit confused, but she went on anyway. "I can see what people are feeling and not just by their expression or body language. Everyone has what we call 'Darkness' about them. I can see when people are sad or angery or hateful."

When didn't respond immediately, Annette began to panic. "Well?" she questioned nervously. He just shrugged. "I've heard crazier."

"So… you believe me?"

"Of course. I can't think of a reason you would lie to me about something like that." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered. He pulled her as close to himself as he possibly could. They stayed like that for a while before Annette pulled away. "I've never told anyone about any of this. It feels strange to know that someone else knows about it." He nodded in understanding.

"I have a question," he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Why didn't you go to France and live with your mother's family when she died? Why did you choose to stay here?"

She took his hand in her own. "When my mother died, she was buried here, in Domino. I couldn't just leave her here, alone, where nobody cared about her. As much as it pains me to be away from him, Andre has my father and my sister back in the United States. But if I left Domino, my mother would have no one, and she deserves better than that."

Annette stood up and dropped Kaiba's hand. "Well, I'd better go. Mokuba's probably wondering where I am." She turned to leave, but Kaiba stopped her. "One more question," he said.

"Yes?"

"What do you see when you look at me?"

Annette smiled. "It's weird, actually. I don't see anything when I look at you."

As Annette was packing up her things, Kaiba stood in the doorway. "You don't have to go," he stated.

"If you're well enough to carry me to your bedroom, then you don't need me around to take care of things."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know." She zipped up her suitcase and walked over to him. He seemed a bit irritated with her. "Don't worry. I'm not running away this time. I just need to live on my own right now." She kissed him on the cheek, and his expression softened slightly.

"Ms. Duval, are you ready to go?" Roland asked, appearing in the doorway. She nodded. "I'll get your suitcase."

"You really don't have to…"

"It's my pleasure." He picked up her suitcase and carried it downstairs. "You know, you should really give him a raise," Annette commented as she followed him. Kaiba nodded in agreement as be walked beside her.

When they went out to the limo, Mokuba was already there, waiting for them. He ran up to Annette and hugged her. "Goodbye, Annette. I'll miss you." The poor kid was about to cry.

"She's not going away forever, Mokuba. She's just going back to her apartment." Annette looked down on the boy. "That's right, Mokuba. Besides, I'll be there tomorrow at the opening of the Grand Championship Tournament," she reassured him.

Mokuba's face brightened immediately. "Oh, okay! See you tomorrow then!" He gave her another quick hug, and then dashed back into the house, leaving Annette alone with Kaiba.

"Well… I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said, stepping into the limo.

"Annette."

"Yes?" she asked, turning towards him.

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Her face turned a bright red, but see smiled at him before getting into the limo. As the limo drove away, she looked back and noticed that Kaiba was still standing there, watching them leave.

Annette could not wait to sleep in her own bed that night. When the limo pulled up to her apartment complex, she got out, retrieved her suitcase before Roland could, thanked him, and then ran up the stairs to her second floor apartment. She snatched the keys out of her purse, and unlocked her door.

"Ah, there she is, ma belle niece! We were beginning to get worried about you."

Annette stood in the doorway looking at her aunt, uncle, and cousin. "Aunt Marie, Uncle Francois, Colette, what are you doing here?"

"We wanted to surprise you! Are you not 'appy to see us?" her cousin asked.

"No, no, it's just now's not a very good time," Annette stuttered.

"Pourquoi?" her aunt questioned accusingly.

"Well, you see, I have to go to Kaiba Land tomorrow…"

"Kaiba Land! Oh, I 'ave always wanted to go there!" Colette exclaimed. She turned to her parents. "Can we go?" she asked pleadingly. Marie was still suspicious, but she finally conceded. "I suppose we can. After all, we came 'ere to 'ave fun, did we not?" Her husband nodded in agreement. _Great, _she thought. _How am I going to explain this to Seto?_


	10. Chapter 10

God, this chapter was hard to write. Sorry if Kaiba is a bit OOC, but what are you gonna do? The whole point of fan fiction is to make your favorite characters do whatever you want them to do. Anyway, I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 10

Kaiba Land was absolutely packed that afternoon. Everywhere Annette looked, eager Duel Monsters fans wore T-shirts with the names of their favorite duelists on them. Colette looked excitedly at everything, pointing and 'ooo'ing and 'ahhh'ing in every direction.

The worst part of all, though, was Marie's insistence on keeping Annette within arms reach at all times. She wasn't sure how, but somehow her aunt had found out about the incident with Kori and Bree, and Annette had a feeling that she was there to convince her to come back to France with them. Colette was obviously there to guilt her into going, and Francois… well, he was just kind of Marie's shadow.

"So, when were you going to tell me about what 'appened to you?" her aunt asked icily.

"Never," Annette replied honestly. Marie sighed. " 'onsetly, Annette, you just cannot keep yourself out of trouble, can you?" she hissed.

"Marie, it's my _jobs _to get into trouble! I can't help it."

"And that's anoser zing. You would not 'ave to work if you came back with us."

"I like working."

Marie sighed. "You are as stubborn as your mother. That stubbornness is what got 'er killed, you know."

Annette stopped so suddenly that a few parkgoers bumped into her. Colette and Francois stopped too, curious about what had caused the sudden delay. "How can you say that about her? So was your sister, for crying out loud!"

"Annette, stop. You are going to make a scene," Marie chastised.

"Marie, I am not a child anymore! You can't just tell me what to do, and expect me to obey like a trained dog!"

"Annette!" a young voice called behind her. She turned around, still fuming, and saw Mokuba running towards her with Kaiba not far behind. Mokuba stopped, noticing Annette's angry expression, and Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Annette, what's wrong?"

Annette, realizing that she still looked mad, softened her expression. "Nothing, Mokuba. I'm sorry if I alarmed you."

"It's okay. Say, who are your friends?" he asked, pointing to the three people hovering around her. "Oh, right," she said, slightly embarrassed. "This is my uncle, Francois; my aunt, Marie; and my cousin, Colette."

"Nice to meet you all!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Guys, this is-"

"I know 'o zey are!" Colette interrupted. "Zey are Mokuba and Seto Kaiba!"

Mokuba gave her a proud grin, while Seto just smirked in satisfaction. "It is a pleasure to meet Annette's extended family. We have heard so much about you," Kaiba remarked.

Marie examined him suspiciously. "Really? Because I 'ave not 'eard very much about you, Mr. Kaiba. At least, not from 'er," she stated.

"Marie!" Annette hissed under her breath. Kaiba just grinned. "I see me reputation proceeds me."

"It does. Annette let us go," Marie huffed, turning around.

"No, I'm going with them."

Marie stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face her niece. "You are choosing to go with zem instead of your own family?" she questioned, anger burning like the flames of hell in her eyes.

"Considering you ambushed me with this visit, and have not gotten off my case about my job since you got here, I'm not too keen on having quality family bonding time with you," Annette snapped.

Colette and Mokuba looked nervously from Annette to Marie, while Francois was slowly backing away from the World War that he was sure was about to start.

"Very well," was all Marie said before walking away with Colette and Francois tailing her.

A loud groan escaped Annette's lips. _I'm gonna hear about this when I get home. _

Mokuba tugged on sleeve. "Come on, the first duel's about to start. He ran in the direction his brother was walking. Annette caught up to Kaiba and started walking beside him. "Mind telling me what that was about?" he questioned.

"It's nothing. Family stuff."

He raised one eyebrow skeptically, but didn't pry any more.

They arrived at a tall, rectangular structure that sat right in the middle of the park. Automatic doors opened for them, and Annette found herself standing in the nearly empty lobby of a dueling arena. "Where is everybody?"

"Most of them are already seated for the duel. We have a private viewing box, so we don't have to worry about it," Mokuba explained.

They stepped onto an elevator, which brought them to a large sitting room, with a huge couch in the middle and a recliner off to the side. Mokuba took the recliner, while Annette and Kaiba sat down on the couch. Annette didn't expect Kaiba to sit so close to her and she definitely didn't expect him to wrap his arm around her waist. Her body tensed, and she shot a cautious glance at Mokuba. "Don't worry. He won't be paying any attention to us. Besides, he'll love it," he whispered into her ear. She relaxed a bit, and playfully elbowed him in the ribs. He kissed her on the top of her head and she turned a bright red, making Kaiba chuckle.

"Attention, guests. Welcome to the first rounds of the Grand Championship Tournament! The first up to duel will be Yugi Mutou and Mai Valentine!" a booming voice announced. The two duelists stepped onto the platform in the middle of the arena and turned on their duel disks.

Once the duel began, Kaiba's attention was fixated on Yugi, though he kept his arm wrapped around Annette. Something did, however, catch his eye during the duel. Annette's Black Berry buzzed, and she glanced down on it quickly to see who them email was from. Her eyes widened slightly, and he could tell that she wanted to open the email, but she didn't want to miss the duel, so she put it back in her pocket.

The duel ended with Yugi coming out the victor (not that anyone was surprised). As soon as Mai's life points hit zero, Annette pulled her phone out of the pocket of her shorts and opened the email. The color drained from her face as she scrolled through the email.

"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked.

"Dr. Cambell just emailed me the pictures from Kori's autopsy," she whispered, not wanting Mokuba to hear her.

Luckily, the next duel was already beginning, and Mokuba was already cheering for Joey Wheeler as he was going up against Weevile.

Kaiba stood up and began walking towards the elevator, and Annette followed. "Hey, where are you guys going?" Mokuba asked.

"We need to talk in private," was all Kaiba said.

"Right. _Talk,_" Mokuba replied with a sly grin. Annette couldn't stop the color from returning to her cheeks, which just mage Mokuba's grin grow bigger. "Alright. You two have fun," he said with a wink.

Annette wanted to deny what he was suggesting, but the elevator doors closed before she got the chance, so she just folded her arms, and looked away from Kaiba.

"I never pegged you as the shy type," he mused. She shot him a deadly look. "I am not shy! And anyways, that's not what we need to talk about right now."

The elevator doors opened, revealing a well-lit office on the top floor of the building. A large mahogany desk sat in the middle, with a huge leather armchair behind it and two, somewhat smaller chairs in front of it.

"So, what exactly was in that email that freaked you out so much?" he asked, taking his seat behind the desk.

She pulled out the phone and showed it to him. "This. Kori always kept his hair kinda long, so I never noticed it before. It looks exactly like the one that was on the burglar we found." He took the Black Berry from her and examined the picture. It was a simple black tattoo that was on the back of Kori's neck. "A pawn?" he questioned.

"A what?" she asked.

"A pawn. Like in chess," he answered. Annette thought about this for a moment. "A pawn…" she mused, her to herself than to Kaiba. Then, something clicked. "King."

"What?" Kaiba questioned.

"Richard King. That guy who was feeling me up at the Gala. He mentioned something about a pawn and a queen… and what Bree said about the queen… That's it! It must be him! He must be the employer they kept talking about!"

Kaiba clenched his fists in rage. "You've gone too far this time, King!" he sneered.

"What do you mean?" Annette asked.

"He's alway's been after what's mine, but he always just targeted my company."

"Then why is he so interested in me?"

Kaiba shook his head. "I don't know. I've had girlfriends before, and he never went after them."

Annette suddenly became very antsy, and the blush returned to her face. "What?"

"Oh, it's nothing… I just didn't know that I was…your girlfriend," she mumbled, her eyes looking everywhere but at Kaiba.

He chuckled, stood up, and walked over to her. "What else would you be?" he asked, tilting her chin up so that she would look at him. She just shrugged. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers.

She wasn't sure what he was doing when he didn't kiss her. They just stood like that for several minutes. Then, she figured it out. He wanted _her_ to kiss _him_. She thought about it, and realized that she had never actually kissed him. It was always him who initiated the kiss. So, she stood on her toes and closed the space between them.

The kiss started out innocent enough. The, Annette opened her mouth slightly, inviting him in, but not too far, and he accepted. They were so wrapped up with each other that neither of them heard the elevator doors open.

"Well, it sure didn't take you long to get over me," a familiar female voice sneered.

The two separated and shot the intruder a dangerous look, only to have the look consumed by pure shock. "Bree?" they whispered simultaneously.

The brunette gave them on evil grin. "I'm surprised you even remember my name, Kaiba, considering you've been so busy with this little whore."

"Get out of here," he snapped.

Bree pulled a gun out of a holster strapped to her thigh. "I don't think you're in any position to be making demands, Kaiba."

He grabbed Annette and pushed her behind him. "Oh, not a very smart move, Kaiba. You see, I'm not here to kill her. I'm here to kill you."

"What do you want with her?" he demanded, not the least bit concerned with his own life.

Her malicious eyes locked onto Annette. "My employer seems to think that there's something special about your little girlfriend. Personally, I don't see it. She's not even pretty."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "Cut the crap, Bree. We know you're working for King."

This didn't seem to faze her. "Well, aren't you clever. Not that it matters. Soon you'll be dead, and I'm sure Mr. King has already thought of a my to keep the bitch's mouth shut."

"If I go with you willingly, will you let him live?" Annette's confident voice asked.

Kaiba looked down on her with a horrified expression. "No, Annette, you can't do this! I won't let you," he exclaimed.

"Mokuba needs you. If you die, he'll have no one. He already almost lost you once because of me. I won't let it happen again," she stated with determination.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I won't let you do this," he said, grabbing onto her arm.

"Well, isn't this cute. But I'm growing impatient," she growled. She pulled the trigger on her gun. Kaiba tried to block the shot, but Annette pushed him out of the way. The bullet grazed her arm.

She clutched her arm in pain, but didn't make any noise. "Wow, for an assassin, you sure are a lousy shot," Annette mocked.

"What did you say?" Bree sneered. She now had her gun trained on Annette. Kaiba had been knocked to the ground when Annette pushed him, and he stared at her, too confused to do anything.

"I said you're a lousy shot. I could have make that shot with my eyes closed." Kaiba couldn't figure out what she was doing. _Is she trying to piss her off?_

"Of course, you probably weren't much use to King besides seducing Seto, and when you screwed that up, you had to beg him not to kill you, so he gave you this job. He must have been feeling pretty generous that day, since you couldn't even manage the two of us when you had help. It's kind of sad, really."

"Shut up!" she shrieked. Suddenly the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival of someone else. Bree whirled around and trained her gun on the doors. They slowly opened, and she fired the gun.

Then, everything just kind of… stopped. Bree stood like a statue, not moving an inch. Kaiba stood up in order to see whom the unfortunate soul on the elevator.

Francois stepped out of the elevator holding something in between his thumb and forefinger. He approached Annette and dropped the object in her hand. "I 'ave never 'ad to use my Gift for somesing like zis before. It was quite interesting to see a bullet floating right before my face."

"Alright, what's going on?" Kaiba asked, noticing that Bree still hadn't moved.

Francois shot Annette a suspicious look. "Are you sure it was a good idea to do this with 'im 'ere?" he asked her.

"Don't worry. He already knows," she assured him.

He nodded, then noticed Annette's wound. "I do not suppose zat you want me to bring Marie up here?"

"That would be correct," she answered. He nodded again, then turned to Kaiba. "Do you 'ave anysing we could use to tie 'er up?" he asked, gesturing to Bree.

"Damn it, I want to know what's going on!" he yelled. Annette sighed and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Seto, remember when I said that my family was special?" He nodded not quite following. "Well, Francois also comes from a family with special abilities too. And his Gift just saved our lives."

Finally, Kaiba put the pieces together. "He stopped time."

"Bingo," she confirmed.

"And I thought I left all that magic mumbo jumbo behind in Egypt," he joked. He went over to his desk and pressed a button. "Have security send someone up to my office. We have an intruder."

"Yes, mister Kaiba."

He took his finger off of the button and walked over to where Annette and Francois stood. "I suppose I owe you my thanks," he said, addressing Francois.

"You do not 'ave to sank me, Monsieur Kaiba. Even though we are not related by blood, Annette is still my family."

Kaiba nodded, and Francois excused himself. "I am sure Marie and Colette would like to continue watching zee duel," he said to Annette with a wink. She laughed and said goodbye.

Once Francois was gone, Annette spoke. "Well, we'd better get back to the viewing box, before Mokuba gets any ideas."

"Not so fast. We have to talk about you're little stunt."

She stopped in her tracks, and turned to face him. "Oh, right…"

"I don't want you risking your life for me," he stated bluntly.

"Well, that's just too bad, because I'm gonna do it whether you want me too or not. So unless you plan on handcuffing me to my bed or something, then you'd better get over it."

Kaiba smirked. "I didn't know you were into that."

Annette could feel her face heating up. "That's not what I meant, and you know it!" she shouted. She turned on her heel and head back to the elevator. "Wait."

"What is it this time?" she snapped.

"We have to wait for security to get here. Plus, Your arm needs to be looked at."

She clutched her arm. She had almost forgotten about the wound.

Kaiba opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a first aid kit. "Sit down," he ordered, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"I can do that myself."

He shot her a dangerous look, and she sighed in resignation. She sat down in the chair, and he leaned down with a damp cloth in his hand. "This might sting a little."

She, however, barely felt it, too embarrassed to think about the pain. _If the guys down at Headquarters saw this, I'd never hear the end of it. _

Once he was done cleaning the wound, he took the gauze out of the kit, and wrapped it around her arm. "There."

She looked down on her arm. "Thank you," said barely above a whisper. She kept looking down on the floor.

Kaiba took one of her hands in his own. "Annette, look at me."

She lifted her eyes to meet his. "You don't have to be embarrassed."

"I know. Force of habit, I guess."

He gave her a gentle kiss, and she smiled at him. They held each other until security finally showed up, and then Annette pushed him away.

The two security guards stared at Bree, dumbfounded. "Umm…sir?" one of them muttered. Kaiba turned to Annette, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right!" she said. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them back up. At that moment, Bree was unfrozen. She dropped the gun in shock, and one of the security guards handcuffed her and dragged her onto the elevator. "Wh… what happened? How did they get here?" they heard her babble before the elevator doors closed on them.

"Did you do that?" Kaiba asked Annette. She shook her head. "No, I had to ask Francois to do it." He still looked confused, so she tapped her forehead with her finger. "Oh," he said in understanding. Then, something occurred to him. "Does that mean you can read my mind?" he asked. Annette just giggled. "No, it only works with people who have a Gift," she answered.

"Although…" she continued with a sly grin. "I don't need telepathy to know what you're thinking," she teased. She stood and walked towards the elevator with Kaiba following. They stepped onto the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed, Kaiba pinned Annette to a wall, and she let out a small squeak of shock. "You almost died and now you're flirting?" he questioned.

"I told you; I'm not afraid to die." He sighed and began run his fingers through her hair. Something about this gesture made Annette uncomfortable, for she started shifting her weight and looking down. Kaiba let out another sigh and released her. "You know, sometimes, I just don't get you. You're fine with me kissing you, but when I play with your hair, you freak out. What's the deal?"

At that moment, the elevator doors opened and Mokuba was standing right in front of them. "You guys were gone for a long time. Is everything alright?"

Annette bit her lip and looked up at Kaiba, unsure of how much of the truth they should tell him. He just crossed his arms. "We had a situation. We dealt with it." Mokuba just shrugged and went back to watching the duel, obviously used to receiving such vague answers.

Kaiba put his hand on Annette's back and led her back to the couch. She sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. The excitement of the day had worn her out, and she felt herself drifting off to sleep. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was feeling someone kissing the top of her head.


	11. Chapter 11

This chapter may seem a bit unnecessary, but I needed a good transition. Otherwise, things would just get confusing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Chapter 11

"Hey Annette, wake up! Seto's about to duel!" Mokuba's excited voice roused Annette from her peaceful slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up to stretch her arms out, letting out a long yawn in the process. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She looked around, and remembered that she was in the viewing box with Mokuba and…

"Mokuba, where's Seto?" she asked. He rolled his eyes. "I just said that he was about to duel. Geez, you must be really tired." Annette suddenly remembered that she had fallen asleep leaning on Kaiba. _How does he do that?_

She rubbed her eyes and asked, "So who's he up against?"

"Joey Wheeler. This is gonna be great! I love watching those two duel!" She smiled at him, and then turned her attention to the arena below them. Sure enough, Kaiba was standing on one end of the platform, looking stoic as ever. Joey stood on the other end, soaking up all of the cheers from the crowd.

"Are you ready to lose, Mutt?"

Joey turned his gaze to Kaiba. "I can't wait till my Red Eyes wipes that grin right off your face!" he shouted.

And so, the two dueled, and, as expected, Kaiba won, though it was a surprisingly close match. Kaiba's face remained unfazed while a very disgruntled Joey stormed off the platform. Mai was there waiting for him, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Joey's expression brightened a bit, and the couple left. Annette couldn't help but smile at the touching scene.

"Well, that was the last duel for the day. I guess you'd better go back to your family now."

"I guess so. Goodbye Mokuba. I'll see you later." Annette stood up to leave, but before she reached the elevator, she heard Mokuba ask, "Say, Annette… how long do you think they'll be in town?"

"I have no idea. Why?"

Mokuba looked down at his feet. "Oh…no reason," he muttered. A small laugh escaped her lips. "I'll see if Colette wants to hang out or something."

His expression lit up and he shot Annette a big smile. "Thanks, Annette!" he exclaimed.

"You're welcome," she said before stepping onto the elevator.

Much to her displeasure, Annette's family was waiting for her in the lobby. Marie stood with her arms crossed, and she was tapping her foot impatiently. Francois leaned casually against a wall, and Colette nervously twiddled her thumbs.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Marie dropped her arms and addressed Annette. "I do not want to fight with you. Believe it or not, we actually want to enjoy our vacation."

Annette examined her aunt's Darkness. She didn't find anything except a hint of Worry, so it was safe to say that Marie was telling the truth. "Fine. Let's just get out of here before we get trampled."

"Zat will not be a problem," Francois noted with a smirk. Annette just rolled her eyes and led her family out of the park.

The next day, Marie announced that Francois and she had reservations for Domino's finest spa. That meant that Annette was left alone with Colette. _She lectures me about spending time with the family, and then she goes and dumps poor Colette on me?_

Colette sat upside down on her couch, already letting out a series of bored sighs. _Hmmm… what to do with a bored teenager…_

"Say, Colette, want to go to the beach?" she asked her cousin. It was the first really warm day of the year, and the water would be a bit cold, but Annette couldn't think of anything better to do.

Colette immediately perked up. "I would love to!"

"Good. Would you mind if I called Mokuba and asked if he wanted to join us?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Of course not!" she exclaimed. She dashed off to the bathroom to put her bathing suit on.

Annette pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Mokuba. "Hey, Mokuba. You doing anything today?"

"Not much. Why?"

"Do you want to come to the beach with Colette and me?"

"Would I!"

"Meet us there in an hour."

"Okay!"

Annette hung up the phone and went to put her own bathing suit on. She went into her bedroom and opened her top drawer. Her suit consisted of a simple white bikini top and a matching skirt bottom. She absolutely loved that bathing suit; it wasn't too skimpy, but it was still flattering.

She left her bedroom and reentered the living room to find Colette wearing a bright pink bikini with white polka dots. It was a bit startling to see her cousin wearing such a revealing and flashy bathing suit; but, then again, the last time Annette saw her cousin in a bathing suit was when Colette was six years old.

"I am ready!" Colette cried, holding up her bright yellow beach bag.

"All right. Let me just get my stuff, and then we'll go."

About forty-five minutes later, Annette was lying on a beach towel, reading a mystery novel. Colette was enjoying herself as she bodysurfed on wave after wave. Annette couldn't remember the last time she went to the beach. She was usually too busy with work to find time to just relax.

"Hi there!" Mokuba's voice called. Annette turned around to find the teenager jogging towards her. He stopped and spread his beach towel out next to her. "Where's Colette?" he asked. Annette pointed to the ocean. Mokuba found her and bounded off in her direction.

Annette shook her head, and went back to reading her book. She, however, hadn't read two sentences before a shadow appeared over her. She groaned and looked up to discover who was blocking her light. To her surprise, it was Kaiba.

"Seto, what are you doing here?" she asked. He was wearing a black business suit and brand new dress suits. He was definitely not dressed for the beach.

"I was wondering where Mokuba was trying to sneak off to without a bodyguard. I can't say I'm too surprised," he answered as he watched his brother splash Colette.

"I'm sorry. I thought he would ask you before coming here." Kaiba shrugged. "Whatever. The kid needs to get out of the house more often anyway." He took a seat next to her. She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you worried about getting your clothes dirty?" she asked.

"They can be washed."

"You're gonna burn up in that, you know."

"I'll be fine."

"You know, you don't really seem like the beach type."

"I'm not, but seeing as you're here, it's somewhat tolerable."

He looked over at her and gave her the smallest hint of a smile. She felt herself blushing. "You're doing that on purpose," she grumbled.

Kaiba began to lean closer to her. "What are you going to do about it?" he purred. Annette shot a nervous glance to the other beachgoers. Most of them were watching the scene with a mixture of shock and curiosity. They obviously recognized him.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not end up on the front page of a tabloid looking like some slutty bimbo." Kaiba turned his attention to the spectators and shot them a deadly sneer. They immediately looked away and went back to whatever they were doing.

Kaiba leaned back into his original position with one arm supporting his weight and the other casually draped over his bent knee. Annette tried to just go back to reading her book, but she noticed beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. Sighing, she put her book back down, found a water bottle in her beach bag and tossed it to him.

He caught it and gave her a quizzical look. "You're gonna die of heat stroke if you don't drink some water. And at least take your jacket off or something."

He gave her a look that she couldn't quite read, but then did what she said and took a drink of water. He put the water bottle down and took off his jacket.

_Well, that was easy, _she thought. He was still sweating like a pig, but he was trying to hide his discomfort.

"Isn't there somewhere you should be?" she asked.

"If you wanted to get rid of me so badly, you could just say so," he grumbled.

"Well, you were on your way to _something _before you decided to follow Mokuba. Probably some meeting or something. Isn't someone expecting you?"

"They can wait."

"Seto, you look like you're about to pass out! If you're worried about Mokuba, then don't be. I can watch out for him."

He didn't look at her. His gaze was fixed on the ocean, watching the waves roll in and out. There was something in his expression that frightened Annette; something dark and untouchable.

"Seto…" she whispered, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. He still didn't look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You don't have to put on the tough guy act in front of me, Seto. We've known each other for years. Please, just talk to me." He said nothing.

"Don't you trust me?"

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

He finally looked at her, pain in his eyes. "I had a dream."

"What kind of dream?"

"I was standing in front of your tombstone," he said in a choked voice.

Annette wrapped her arms around his neck. He didn't react other than to snake one arm around her waist.

"It felt so real. For a second after I woke up, I thought you were actually…"

He pulled back from her a bit. "I've never experienced anything like it." "Lucky you," Annette replied with a humorless laugh.

"You've had dreams like that?"

"Almost every night."

Something flashed across his face. _God, I hope he doesn't start feeling sorry for me._

He didn't say anything about it, though. He just stood up. "I should go before I completely ruin this suit," he said. Annette stood up, wanting to give him a kiss goodbye, but then stopped herself, remembering that they were in public. Kaiba noticed her hesitation and smirked. She wanted to punch him for that, but he stalked off before she got the chance.

"Hey, Annette, will you come swim with us?" a young voice asked. She turned around to find Mokuba and Colette looking at her with big puppy dog eyes.

"I suppose I could use a dip." The two teenagers smiled and pulled her towards the restless ocean.

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	12. Chapter 12

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. A combination of writer's block and having a life kept me from updating earlier. Again, sorry if Kaiba was OOC in that last chapter, but I thought it would be good to give him a vulnerable side. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

Chapter 12

"You guys really don't have to go so soon," Annette expressed half-heartedly. She stood with Marie, Francois, and Colette in front of the Domino City Airport. She wasn't sure why they had flown so far to only stay for a few days, but she wasn't going to complain. Her family meant the world to her, but, sometimes, they just drove her crazy.

"No, no, we 'ave to go. Francois 'as to go back to work. Besides, I am sure you are ready to 'ave us out of your 'air."

Annette gave her aunt a hug. "Hey, Marie, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Mom had the same Gift as I do, right?"

Marie nodded, not sure where Annette was going with this.

"Well… was there ever anyone whose Darkness she couldn't see?"

Marie's eyes widened for a moment, then returned to normal. "Only one," she replied.

"Who?"

She gently place her hand on Annette's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "I 'ave a feeling zat you will find out soon enough."

Annette gave her a confused look, but Marie simply gave her a hug and picked up her suitcase. "Au revoir, ma belle," she said, turning away and gesturing for her family to follow. Annette gave her family one last wave goodbye, and then slipped back into her car. _I wonder what she meant by that._

The Third Street Cemetery was abandoned as usual. Annette made her way through the weathered tombstones with a bouquet of white lilies in her hand. Her family wanted to go with her but this was something she preferred to do alone.

Finally finding the correct headstone, she stopped and gently placed the flowers on the ground in front of it. Her mother's headstone was relatively new compared to the others in the cemetery. It was big, but not too flashy or expensive. Annette found herself tracing the letters engraved in the stone with her fingers. Memories flooded her mind. She could see her mother's face like she was right in front of her. A single tear slid down her cheek.

"I was wondering if I'd ever see you here," a strange voice said. Annette stood up and turned around. She found a man standing behind her. He had dull brown hair streaked with gray and sad, brown eyes. He wore an ugly green jacket with a blue work shirt and dirty jeans. His brown boots were caked with mud. His Darkness was the color of Grief.

"Who are you?" Annette whispered. She didn't know this man, and she couldn't believe that her mother knew him either. His eyes remained glued to the headstone. "The name's Mason."

"Did you know my mom?"

He gave her a choked laugh. "You could say that." Annette was getting irritated. "Listen, pal, this is kind of a private issue for me, so either tell me what you want or beat it."

Mason glanced over to her before returning his gaze to the stone. "Did your mother ever tell you why she brought you to Domino?"

She stared at him, completely bewildered. _How would this guy know something about my mother that I don't even know?_

"We met one time when your father took her on a business trip with him. At the time, I was an executive for Black Knight games."

Annette perked up. _Black Knight Games? Damn, I wish I had brought my gun with me. _Her body tensed up, and her hands balled into fists. _I can't let this guy psych me out. _

"I remember your mother looking at me like I had a second head or something. She just kept staring at me with that deer-in-the-headlights look. When I asked her why she was looking at me like that, she said that it was nothing, but I could tell that she was lying. Then, she said something really crazy. She said that she wanted to see me again."

Annette's eyes widened in disbelief. "No, you're lying! My mother never cheated on my father."

"I could tell that she didn't want to, but something else seemed to take over. She said that if she stayed with Walter, she'd be lying to herself. Not long after that trip, she left your father and brought you here."

_This isn't real. I'm having a bad dream. _"Why wouldn't she tell me about you?" Annette whispered, almost to herself.

"Renee said that you weren't ready for it. Your brother had just died and your parents were divorced… it just would have been too much."

"You're lying!" she shouted much louder than she was intending. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her body felt cold as ice.

Then, an idea came to her. "My mother had a quote tattooed on the back of her neck. What did it say?"

The stranger gave her a small smile, though Annette could see the sadness in his eyes. "'You don't love someone because of their looks, or their clothes, or their fancy ear, but because they sing a song only you can hear,'" he recited.

Annette could feel her legs failing her. She sat on the ground with her legs crossed. Holding her head in her hands, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Mason sat down next to her. "I know this is a lot to take in right now, but you can't let yourself become overwhelmed. You're still in danger."

Annette looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"King won't stop until he has you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because…" he began as he pulled the collar of his shirt down. "I'm one of his Knights." The back of his neck held the image of the head of a black horse. Realization hit her as she nervously massaged her wrists. "You're one of his men."

"That's correct," he replied. "And my mission was to bring you to King. In fact, that's what I should be doing right now."

The sound of her heart pounding flooded her ears. She tried to stand up and run away, but she collapsed under her own weight. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. After I learned what King was trying to do, I tried to leave. But his Pawns knocked me out and the next thing I knew, I was on an operating table. The doctor told me that I had been implanted with a poison capsule and that, if I disobeyed King, the poison would be released into my body."

The adrenaline rushing through Annette's veins was making her head spin. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stay conscious. The last thing she wanted to do was pass out in the mercy of a man who may or may not be in league with King.

The ground suddenly came rushing towards her. The last thing she heard was Mason muse, "I wonder what she saw in me."

Kaiba paced his office nervously. _Why isn't she answering her phone? This isn't like her._

After half an hour of pacing and jumping to the worst possible conclusions, he finally decided to go to her apartment. He knew that she didn't like it when he just showed up, but he was desperate for some reassurance.

Walking briskly out of the building, he stepped into his limo and slammed the car door. "Annette's apartment. Now."

The limo zoomed across the highway, going well over the speed limit, though to Kaiba, the trip felt like an eternity. He usually wasn't one to fidget, but he couldn't stop himself from cracking his knuckles in anxiety.

When the limo finally pulled up in front of the apartment complex, Kaiba practically jumped out of the car. Sprinting up the stairs, his mind buzzed with all of the horrible things that could happen to Annette. He didn't even bother to knock on the door before pulling out the key Annette gave him and opening the door.

"Annette?" he called into the eerily quiet apartment. No answer. He stepped inside and examined his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. He checked by the door and saw that Annette's boots were missing.

His heartbeat quickened, and he swiftly checked the rooms. She wasn't in the living room, kitchen, or bathroom. The last room was the bedroom. He thought it would be a bit invasive to go into her room, but he was about ready to punch something out of pure panic.

As slowly and quietly as possible, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He was overwhelmed with relief when he saw Annette lying on the bed. A small smile grew across his face as he watched the girl sleep. She golden blonde hair framed her perfect face. He found himself watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and he had to mentally slap himself.

Something, however, didn't seem right. It wasn't like Annette to fall asleep in the middle of the day. He also thought it was odd that she was fully dressed, boots and everything.

"Annette, wake up," Kaiba whispered as he gently shook her. Her eye lids fluttered open, and she looked around like she wasn't sure where she was. She tried to sit up, but she cringed and laid back down. She didn't seem to realize that he was there, so he sat down on the edge of the bed. She jumped, slightly startled, but then saw that it was him and relaxed. "Seto, what are you doing here?"

"I called you several times and you didn't answer," he replied, trying to conceal the look of worry about to consume his expression. She took his hand, and he began stroking the back of her's with his thumb. "I'm sorry, Seto. I guess I was just tired."

"Are you sick?" he asked, placing the back of his free hand on her forehead. She felt a bit warm.

"I don't know. Maybe," she said. Kaiba noticed that there was dirt on the knees of her jeans. "What's that?" he questioned, pointing to the dirt. She looked down on her jeans and let out a disappointed groan. "So it wasn't a dream," she mumbled.

"What wasn't?" She bit her lip and looked away. "Annette, I don't want you to feel like you have to keep secrets from me. I fessed up to you. It's your turn now."

She looked back at him. She let out a defeated sigh and began her story. Mason, King, her mother… with each word that escaped her lips, he grew more and more infuriated. When she finished the tale, Kaiba could feel his knuckles turning white. "Seto, please say something," she pleaded.

"King is going to pay for this," he sneered. Annette finally sat up and rested her head on his shoulder. "There's just one thing I don't understand. Like Mason said, I don't know what my mother saw…" she trailed off, lost in her thoughts.

Kaiba wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying. He was so consumed by his own rage that he didn't realize that she was in pain until he felt her tighten her grip on his hand. He looked down on her and saw that she was clutching her chest and breathing laboriously. Her eyes were wide and her body was shaking. "Annette, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer. Instead, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went limp. Kaiba whipped out his cellphone and dialed. "I need an ambulance. Now."

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